420 



S Y STEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PA SSEBES — 0SCINE8. 



110. 



347. 



low. Length about 16.00 ; w'mg and tiiil about 8.00, the graduation of the latter about 2.00 ; 

 bill 1.25. Rio Graudo Valley anj southward. 



PI'CA. (Lat. pica, a pie.) Magpies. Tail extreuiely long, when fully developed forming 

 more than i the total length, graduated for about i its own leugth ; the feathers witli rounded 

 ends, the middle pair at least tai>criug, and specially leuotliened beyond the rest. Bill of ordi- 

 nary corvine shape ; uos- 

 trils concealed by loug na- 

 sal tufts. Wings short and 

 rounded, wdth very short, 

 uarrow, falcate first pri- 

 mary. Feet stout ; tarsus 

 little longer than middle 

 toe and claw. Head not 

 cre.sted. A naked space 

 about eye. Plumage black, 

 iridescent, with masses of 

 white; bill black or yel- 

 low. Sexes alike. Habits 

 arboreal and somewhat ter- 

 restrial, — very irregular, 

 in fact, a magpie's general 

 character being none of 

 the best, though the ge- 

 neric characters are ex- 

 cellent. 



P. rus'tica hiiclson'iea. 

 (Lat. rnstica, rustic, rural; 

 rus, ruris, the country. 

 Of Hudson's Bay. Fig. 

 273.) Magpie. Lustrous 

 black, with green, purple, 

 violet, and even golden 

 iridescence, especially on 

 the tail and wings. Be- 

 low, from the breast to tlie 

 crissum, a scapular patch, 

 and a great part of the in- 

 uer webs of the primary 

 ijuills, white ; some whit- 

 ish touches on the throat; 

 lower back showing gray, 

 owing to mixture of wliito 

 with black ; bill and feet 

 black ; eyes blackish. 



-Mfigpio, reflnned. (Fi'om Dixon.) 



Length 15 or 20 inches, according to the development of t)ie tail, wdiich is a foot or less hmg, 

 extremely graduated ; extent about 2 feet ; wing about 8.00, the outer primary short, slender, 

 and falcate; bill 1.25; tarsus 1.67; middle toe and claw 1.50. ? rather smaller than $, but 

 alike in color. Arctic Amer. and U- S. from Plains to Pacific, except California ; common. 

 Tlie American magpie is extremely similar to the notoiious bird of Europe, and attempts to 

 establish specific characters have failed. It is a rather larger and " better" bird, though quit(> 



