CDRVID.K — TIII<; CROWS. 249 



This specicis is roiulily ilistiiijiuislictl i'miii tlio easturn Fish Crow l»y (ho 

 larj^iT size ; iho iilKsciiue (if i;iv('ii gloss on tlie holly ; tiio tarsi longer than 

 tlu; niidclle too and claw, instead of shorter; and the second tiiiill lieing 

 generally shorter than tho sixth instead oi' longer, and considerahly shorter 

 ihan tho culnion, instead of longer. 



It is rather to he compared with (/. aiiifrinDiiix, with whicli it agrees in 

 colors, hnt from which it ditVers, essentially, in having the wing and tail 

 very muLh shorter, wiiile the hill is oonsidoraldy longer, and in having the 

 tarsus shorter than the culmen, instead of longer, as in all the other Xorth 

 American s]iecies. in this last respect it agrees with ('. nicrirmnin (see 

 synopsis, \). 8l!!t) of Western Mexico ; in this, however, the color and projior- 

 tions are entirely different. 



H.VHITS. This sjH'cies a]>iiears to ho confined to tho sea hoard of the Ta- 

 citic, from Ahiska to California inclusive. Smaller than tho common Crow, 

 in its more essential features it closely rcsenddos that hird, while in all its 

 habits it a])p(.irs the exact cuunterpart of the Fish Crow, from which it is 

 specilically and essentially distinct. 



It is found as iav north as Sitka, several specimens having been jnociu'cd 

 at that i)oint by Mr. Di.schoff. 



In the oj)inion of I>r. Suckley, tiie marked differences in tlie habits of 

 this species from those of the connmin Crow, o\en more than the great dif- 

 ference in size, suiiicii'ntly mark them as entirely distinct. The western 

 Fish Crow is never wary or susjiicious, like tlie common species, but in its 

 impudent familiarity with man resenddes the Fnglish Jackdaw, and hardly 

 learns to be shy oven after having been annoyed with the gun. In Oregon 

 and Wa.shington Territory, he states, this Crow is very abundant, and is one 

 of the marked ornithological features of the country. The great abundance 

 of fish, es])ecially of salmon, in both of these divisions, ani]>ly supplies tins 

 .species with food. At I'uget Sound it is abundant throughout the year. 

 During tho winter it sultsists ])rincipally uiton tho refuse food and offal 

 thrown out by the natives from their lodges. He describes it as ennidng, 

 but very tame and ini])udent, allowing a very near ap])roach, and retiring but 

 a short distance whi'U i)ur.suod. Like the Uavon and the lleriing (lull, those 

 birds are in tho habit of carrying clams high into tho air and then dropjiing 

 Ihom, in order to break the shell. I)r. Suckley observed one friutle.s.sly try- 

 ing to lireak the shidl of a clam by letting it dro]) on .soft ground. In this 

 effort he ]iersistod per.se vori ugly as long as ho was watched. 



Dr. Suckley found a nest of this species at Fort Dalles. It was situated 

 in a ilens(> willow-thicket, near a lagoon on the C(dund)ia, and contained 

 three eggs, lie describes them as aliout an inch and a half long and very 

 wide in their short diameter, of a dirty green ground with brown spots. 



Dr. Coopi'r s]ieaks of it as much nioro gregarious and familiar than the 

 common Crow, Imt otherwise resendiling that bird in habits, being very saga- 

 ciou.s, feeding upon almost everything animal and vegetaiile, differing rather 



VOL. u. -i-i 



