252 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ul)()ut 11 inches instead of lo) ; tlie )iill is hroiiiler at tlie base anil tapers more 

 rajtiilly to tlie end ; the jniihlle toe and chiw are h)n^er than the seutelhite 

 portion of the tarsus, not slKnter, tlie inner claw not reachin.L"- to the base of 

 the middle one. The tail is less rounded. The j^loss on the belly is ,yreen 

 instead of violet ; that on the back is mixed with yreeii, not entirely violet. 



Habit.s. The Fish Crow of Eastern North vVnierica has a distribution 

 restricted to the .Southern Atlantic .and the (iulf shore. It is Ibund in the 

 States of New Jersey, I'ennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, A'irifinia, the Caro- 

 lina!?, (ieornia, and Florida, and, according to Audulion, thence to the mouth 

 of the Mississijipi AVest of that river it appears to be very rarely met with. 

 Dr. Wiirdeiiiann ol)tained it at Calcasieu, La. Mr. Allen, in a list of the 

 birds of Alassachusetts, published in 18U4, names this s])ecies as an occa- 

 sional visitor along the southern coast of that State, but 1 am not able to 

 find any corroboration of tlie statement, and believe it to be a mistake. Dr. 

 De Kay, in his iJeport on the birds of New York, states that this Crow is 

 occasionally seen on tlie shores of Lcjiig Island, but ^h: Lawrence is confi- 

 dent that it never occurs i'arther north than Sipiaw Beacli, in New Jersey. 

 So, too, Mr. Townscnd is (juoted by b(jtli Audubf)n and Niittall as authority 

 for its occurrence on the Columl)ia IJiver, of which we have no continuation. 



This species was first described by Wilson, who met with it and observed 

 its habits on the sea-coast of (leorgia. In some respects its habits were 

 the exact reverse of those of the common Crow, as the former regularly re- 

 tired at evening int(j the interior to roost, and came down to the shores of 

 the river Savannah, on the first ap])earaiice of day, to feed. Its voice first 

 attracted his notice ; there was something in it very different from the utter- 

 ances of the Crow, being more hoarse and guttural, and more varied in its 

 modulations. The mode of flight was also observed to be quite different, 

 as the Fish Crow occasionally soars about in the manner of the liaven and 

 of Hawks, without Hapi)iiig its wings, — a flight which the Crow is never 

 obser\ed to make, and is i)robal>ly not alile to execute. 



The food was also oliserved to bo unlike, as well as the manner of pro- 

 curing it. The favorite iiaunt of this species seemed to be the banks of the 

 river, up and down which they soared, and in a v(;rv ilexterous manner 

 snatched ii]) with their claws dead fisli, or other garbage found floating 

 on the surface. Tiiis Crow was also seen to jiercli freiiuontly on the back of 

 catlie, in the manner of the Jactkdaw of Kurope. It was never seen to 

 miii-le with the common Crows ; and never, like the latter, voosts among the 

 reeds and marshes near the water, but always seeks the shelter of the woods, 

 in which to pass the night. 



Afterwards, in his Journey near the Mississiii])i, Wilson ob.served the same 

 birds freiiuenting the borders of rivers and ])onds, and feeding on the rej)- 

 tiles found in those waters. Tluiy were close attendants upon the cow-yards, 

 and were more solitary, but much less shy and susjncious, than the common 

 Crow. This sjiecicis was also oliserved liy Wilson in Cape May County, New 



