CORVID.E — THE CROWS. 231 



Family CORVIDJB. — The Crows. 



Char. PHmdrips ten; the iiist sliort, puiu'nilly iilimit Imlf ns loiip; lus tlm scrnnd (nr a 

 link' iiKirc) ; llie outer lour .Minuiitcil on the iiiiiin' udi^i'. Tim nasal lussju and U(psll■il,^ 

 usually inoiH! or less concealed liy inu'i'ow, stillened bristles (or bristly leathers), willi 

 short apijressed lateral liranches extending' to the very tip, all direi'ted forwards (lln'se 

 hristles oucasionnlly wantiuj;). Tansi scutellate anteriorly, the sides luidivided (except 

 sonielinies below), and separated from the anterior plates by a narrow naked stiip, some- 

 times lille 1 u|> with small scales. ]5asal joint of mi<ldle toe luiited about e(iually to tlio 

 lateral, generally for about half the length. Bill generally notched. 



The preceding clmracteva distinouisli the iainily of Crows quite imirketUy 

 from all others. Tiie featiire.s of the bristles on the bill, and the separation 

 of the lateral and anterior scales by a narrow inter\al, are worthy of par- 

 ticiiliir attention. The comniissure is without the obtusely angular bend 

 near the l)ase, seen in the Icta-uhv. 



There are two sub-families of Corrida; represented in America, one end)ra- 

 cing the true Crows, the other the Jays. They pass very insensibly into each 

 other, and it is diflicult to mark the dividing line. We may, however, dis- 

 tinguish these, as found in the United States, by the following characters : — 



Corvlnae. Bill ns long aa the head. Tail short, nearly even ; wings long and pointed, 

 loMirer than tail, and nearly reaching its tip; projecting beyond the under tail-coverts, 

 whii'h reach the middle of tail. Tip of wing formed by the tnird, fourth, and (iflh (piills, 

 which are lonsxest. 



Oarrulinse. Bill usually .shorter than head. Tail lengthened, rounded, and generally 

 longer than the wings, which are short, rounded, and extend .scarcely beyond tlu- lower 

 tail-eoverts ; these not n'aching the middle of the tall. Tip of wing formed by the fourth, 

 fifth, and sixth quills, which are longest. 



The row of small scales is usually present on both sides of the tarsi in 

 the CorviiKv, but in the Jays is generally restricted to the inner face. 



Subfamily CORVINiE. 



CnAR. Wings long and pointed; longer than the tail, and, when closed, reaching 

 nearly to its tip, extending far beyond the under tail-coverts; the third, fourth, and fifth 

 qudls forming the tip of the wing. 



The following diagnosis may serve to distinguish the three genera of 

 North American Corvincc : — 



A. ( Cnrvecp). Bill compre.ssod, much higher than broad ; its tip compressed. 

 Size large (i. e. over 1") inches long), color black, or mainly black. 



Color black throughout ; bill much compressed, the culmen much 

 arched, and the gonya convex ; nasal bristles strong . . . Corvus 



