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YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE. 
Corvus NUTTALLI. 
PLATE CCCLXII. Anuvutr. 
I wave conferred on this beautiful bird the name of a most zea- 
lous, learned, and enterprising naturalist, my friend THomas NutTtal., 
Esq., to whom the scientific world is deeply indebted for the many 
additions to our zoological and botanical knowledge which have re- 
sulted from his labours. It is to him alone that we owe all that is 
known respecting the present species, which has not hitherto been . 
portrayed. In a note inserted by him in my journal, he says : 
“As we proceed to the south in Upper California, around the 
village of Sta. Barbara, we find the Common Magpie substituted by 
this remarkable species, which is much more shy and cautious, as 
well as more strictly insectivorous. It utters, however, nearly if not 
quite the same chatter. In the month of April they were everywhere 
mated, and had nearly completed their nests in the evergreen oaks of 
the vicinity (Quercus agrifolia). The only one I saw was situated on 
a rather high tree, towards the summit, and much concealed among 
the thick and dark branches. Their call was pait, pat; and on ap- 
proaching each other, a low congratulatory chatter was heard. After 
being fired at once, it seemed nearly impossible again to approach them 
within gun-shot. When alighted in the thick oaks, they remained for 
a considerable time silent, and occasionally even wholly hid themselves ;, 
but after a while the call of recognition was again renewed, and if the 
pair then met, they would often fly off a mile or more, without stop- 
ping, in quest of insects. We often saw them on the ground, but 
never near the offal of the oxen, so attractive to the Crows and Ravens a 
around.” is 
Corvus Nurratti. 
Adult. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 1. 
Bill almost as long as the head, straight, robust, compressed ; upper 
