408 LAND BIRDS 



walking with comical dignity over the ground, chasing 

 each other merrily through the air, tumbling, somersault- 

 ing, and even trying to fly on their backs, according to 

 Major Bendire. Their ordinary call is a loud " craack- 

 craack " or a deep grunting " koerr-koerr." Occasionally 

 during the early spring they attempt to sing in low 

 gurgling notes a sort of monologue in monotone, as it 

 were, but evidently expressive of their undying ajffection, 

 and well understood by the mate for whose ears alone it 

 is intended. 



488. AMERICAN CROW. — Corvus americanus. 

 Family : The Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc. 



Length: 17.00-21.00. 



Adults : Entire plumage glossy Hack, with purple lights. 



Geographical Distribution : !North America, except extreme arctic re- 

 gions. 



Breeding Range: In California, interior valleys, also coastwise locally. 



Breeding Season : February 20 to June 1. 



Nest: In trees, from 6 to 40 feet from the ground ; bulky ; composed of 

 sticks and other coarse material ; lined with fibre, grass, leaves, or 

 hair, the lining being well quilted together. 



Eggs: 4 to 8 ; olive-green, irregularly marked with spots and blotches of 

 brown and gray and sometimes lavender. Size 1.65 X 1.15. 



North, south, east, or west, wherever found, the 

 Crow is the same jolly black rascal. He may vary some- 

 what in size ; his plumage may be duller, as claimed, on 

 the Pacific Coast ; he may forsake the tall trees and 

 build on the ground, as he is said to do in British Colum- 

 bia ; but his well-known " caw, caw," has the same 

 derisive inflection, and rooks present the same weird 

 combination of black forms silhouetted against the 



