PXACE AND 

 M*KJIES-S. 



CROW. 387 



d'uiky brown : the tail nearly as long as the reft of the bird. 

 The colours of the female are lefs bright than thofe of the 

 male. 



This inhabits North America? to which I believe it is peculiar, 

 but not feen farther north than the town of Albany : very com- 

 mon at New York, and in New England throughout, in April or 

 May. It builds in fwamps, along with the red-winged Oriole and 

 others, and has a foft delicate note. Its food is hazel-nuts, cheft- 

 nuts, and fuch like, which, like the Nutcracker, it breaks by 

 placing between the feet, and pecking with the bill till the fhell 

 gives way. It is alfo very fond of maize, and being a gregarious 

 bird, often unites into flocks of twenty thoufand at leaft, which 

 alighting on a field of ten or twelve acres, foon lays wafte the 

 whole •, hence reckoned the moft deftru&ive bird in that country. 

 Will often take up with /nails and vermin through necefllty, 

 but not while any thing they like better is to be got at. It 

 is not accounted good to eat, 



STELLERS 

 CROW. 



T ENGTH fifteen inches. Bill an inch and a half; colour Description 



black ; juft at the gape are five or fix black bridles : the 

 head is crefted ; the creft is above two inches in length, compofed 

 of narrow brown feathers ; the general colour of the reft of the 

 plumage is purplifh black, inclining to green on the rump : half 

 of the wing coverts are of a brownifh black, the others of a deep 

 blue j the fecond quills are alfo of this laft colour, crofied with 

 eight or nine bars of black, in the manner of the blue Jay; the 

 greater quills are black, with the outer edges blue green : the 

 fore part of the neck and breaft dufky : belly and vent pale blue s 



3 D 2 the 



