CORVUS CORONOIDES. 



(WJiite-fyed Crow.) 



The Avhole plumage, rich glossy black ; bill and feet, black ; irides, white in the adult, brown in the young. 



Length, 21|- inches; wing, 14-| ; tail, 8i ; bill, 2 ; tarsus, 2|-. » 



This bird, although differing from the Carrion Crow of England, is more nearly allied to the true Corvus than to any other 

 member of its family. It has been found in every explored portion of Australia, and has probably a greater range of habitat than any other 

 member of the Australian group ; and although there is a slight diversity in size between those found in different portions of the continent, 

 there is little doubt of their identity, all having the white eye in an adult stage and possessing habits exactly alike. It is generally seen in 

 pairs, but when opportunities occur for plentiful feeding on offal at stations, slaughter-yards, and at lambing time, it congregates in con- 

 siderable numbers. Its food in general consists of carrion of all kinds, insects, berries, and other vegetable products ; it also at times causes 

 much injury to the farmer by the destruction of seed crops, and many cases are known where whole rows of vines have been stripped of their 

 ripe fruit, but a little attention will soon disperse them. Occasionally a flock of some forty or fifty may be met with in the bush, some on 

 the ground and others on the trees, where they keep up a constant cawing, and in such cases are not easily dispersed, for if disturbed they 

 speedily gather together and commence their noise again. The object of such meeting is not known ; but their actions and noise would 

 almost lead to the supposition that they at times, like animals of a higher order, hold high parliament o\er the past and future. They are 

 almost constant attendants on the camps of the aboriginees ; indeed, this is generally understood by bushmen, and numerous instances are 

 known of such camps having been discovered and surprised through the instrumentality of these birds. Their cry or caw consists of the 

 first three notes of a common chord, descending from the fifth to the third and first, this last being prolonged to a melancholy groan. 



It is but rarely that the nest has been discovered, from the fact of its being placed near the top of the largest and highest trees 

 in such localities as are least disturbed. So little was known of its nidification some few years ago that an impression (of course erroneous) 

 was very common, amongst the working classes of New South Wales, of fabulous rewards having been oftered without success, for the nest 

 and eggs of this bird. The nest is of large size and formed of sticks. The eggs— three or four in number— are long in shape ; color, pale 

 green, blotched and spotted with umber brown ; size, if inches by li. 



