534 



extent 44, wing 156, tail 8-1, tarsus 2'45, middle toe with claw 1/9, claw 0-55, hind toe 1'6, hind claw 

 0*75, bill 2"4." Lesson's description was taken, Professor Cassin states, from a specimen obtained at 

 the Cape of Good Hope; and it is therefore possible that his C. ruficollis may be identical with 

 C. capensis, which has the head and neck tinged with brown, in which case C. leptonyx, Peale (Zool- 

 Expl. Exp. Vincennes, Birds, p. 105, 1848) will be the name for the present species, if distinct, as 

 Peale's specimen was shot near Funchal, Madeira, where, he says, it was not uncommon. Lesson (I. c.) 

 does not state whence the specimen he describes was obtained ; and it may be as well to transcribe his 

 original description, which is as follows : — " Bee assez eleve, tete et cou roussatre, tarses allonges et 

 queue longue." 



6201. Corvus frugilegus, L. Our common Rook is, when in the adult plumage, distinguishable by the base 

 of the bill being devoid of feathers. It is more glossed with purple and steel-blue than the Crow, and 

 is also a smaller bird. Details as to its range have already been given. This species and C. pastinator 

 are the only ones which have the base of the bill denuded of feathers in the adult plumage. 



6202. C. capensis, Licht. (Verz. Doubl. p. 20), is the South-African representative of our Rook, from 

 which it is said to differ in being larger, having a larger beak, the feathers on the throat bifurcate. It 

 inhabits South Africa. Its eggs differ greatly from those of our Rook, being light pink, blotched with 

 brownish pink. 



6203. C. validissimus, Schl. (Note sur le genre Corvus, p. 12, pi. i. fig. 21, Bijd. tot de Dierk. 1858). This 

 species is stated by Schlegel to be larger than the Rook, with a much larger bill. It inhabits the 

 island of Halmahera. 



6204. C. validus, Bp. (Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 385). Schlegel says that this species is smaller than the Rook; 

 and he figures the beak as smaller. I have not had a specimen for examination. It inhabits Sumatra, 

 Borneo, and Timor. 



6205. C. enca, Horsf. (Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 164). This species, for the loan of a specimen of which I 

 am indebted to Canon Tristram, somewhat resembles a young Rook, but is smaller and rather duller in 

 colour. Culmen 2"3 inches, height of culmen at base - 7, wing 10 - 4, tail 6 - 0, tarsus 20. It inhabits Java. 



6206. C. tenuirostris, Moore. Of this species, which is said to occur at Bombay, I have not had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining a specimen. It is said to approach very close to, if it is not identical with, 

 C. validus. 



6207. C. philippinus, Bp. (Comp. Rend. 1853, p. 830 ; C. brevipennis, Schl.) . Schlegel says that this species 

 is distinguishable by its very short wings from any of its allies. It is also dull in colour. It inhabits 

 the Philippines. Schlegel gives the measurements as follows — Total length 17 inches, wing 10j, tail 6'0, 

 culmen 2 T V , height of bill f , tarsus ly|-. 



6208. C. pastinator, Gould (P. Z. S. 1845, p. 1), is a true Rook, but does not have the base of the bill so 

 much denuded of feathers as our Rook, from which it also differs in having the head and neck glossed 

 with purple and not with green. In measurements it varies imperceptibly from C. frugilegus. It 

 inhabits China and Japan. 



6209. C. minor, Heugl. (Syst. Uebers, p. 35), is a small form of C. capensis. Schlegel gives the measure- 

 ments as follows — Wing 10| inches, tail 5f, beak 1-^J-, height of bill ^, tarsus 2\. It is found in 

 Arabia Petrsea and Nubia. 



6210. C. agricola, Tristr., is C. frugilegus, L. 



6211. C. colonorum, Swinhoe (Ibis, 1864, p. 427). Of this bird I have examined the specimens collected by 

 Mr. Swinhoe. It resembles C. sinensis, but is smaller, measuring — culmen 2*5 inches, height of bill at 

 base 0-9-0-95, wing 12-2-12-45, tail 8-5-8-6, tarsus 2-2-2-3. It inhabits China. 



6212. Mr. G. R. Gray puts down the Crow from the Marianne Islands with a query as being an undescribed 

 species. Not having examined a specimen, I am unable to give an opinion as to whether this view is 

 correct or not. 



