CLARK’S CROW. 209 
CLARK’S CROW.—CORVUS COLUMBIANUS.— Fic. 94. 
Peale’s Museum, No, 1371. 
CORVUS COLUMBIANUS. — Winson. 
Corvus Columbianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 56. 
Tus species resembles, 4 little, the Jackdaw of Europe, (Corvus 
monedula,) but is remarkable for its formidable claws, which approach 
to those of the Falco genus, and would seem to intimate that its food 
consists of living animals, for whose destruction these weapons must 
be necessary. In conversation with different individuals of the party, 
I understood that this bird inhabits the shores of the Columbia, and 
the adjacent country, in great numbers, frequenting the rivers and sea- 
shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all the gregarious and 
noisy habits of the European species, several of the party supposing it 
to be the same. Fig. 94 was drawn with particular care, after a mi- 
nute examination and measurement of the only preserved skin that 
was saved, and which is now deposited in Mr. Peale’s museum. 
This bird measures thirteen inches in length; the wings, the two 
middle tail-feathers, and the interior vanes of the next, (except at the 
tip,) are black, glossed with steel-blue ; all the secondaries, except the 
three next the body, are white for an inch at their extremities, forming 
a large spot of white on that part when the wing is shut; the tail is 
rounded, yet the two middle feathers are somewhat shorter than those 
adjoining ; all the rest are pure white, except as already described ; 
the general color of the head, neck, and body, above and below, is a 
light, silky drab, darkening almost to a dove color on the breast and 
belly ; vent, white ; claws, black, large, and hooked, particularly the 
middle and hind claw; legs, also black; bill, a dark horn color; iris 
of the eye, unknown. 
In the state of Georgia, and several parts of West Florida, I discov- 
ered a Crow, not hitherto taken notice of by naturalists, rather larger 
than the present species, but much resembling it in the form and 
length of its wings, in its tail, and particularly its claws. This bird 
is a constant attendant along the borders of streams and stagnating 
ponds, feeding on small fish and lizards, which I have many times seen 
him seize as he swept along the surface. A well-preserved specimen 
of this bird was presented to Mr Peale, and is now in his museum. 
It is highly probable that, with these external resemblances, the habits 
of both may be nearly alike. 
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