70 



2. Throat feathers oval, blended; bill under 2 inches^ wing 12 to 



14 inches Crow. 



2. Throat feathers narrow, pointed, separated; bill over 2, wing 



over 13 inches (3) 



3. Wing 13 to 14 inches long; hind neck with feathers white at base. . . . 



White-necked Raven. 



3. Wing 16 to 18 inches long; hind .neck feathers without white (4) 



4. Larger, bill 2| to 3£, averaging about 3 inches, over 1 inch 



deep at nostrils Northern Raven. 



4. Smaller, bill 2| to 3, averaging 2f inches, under 1 inch 



deep at nostrils .American Raven. 



5. Head crested (6) — not crested (8) 



6. Crest purplish blue, throat white with a black collar and front- 

 let ; wings and tail blue Blue Jay. 



6. Crest, head, neck, and upper chest and back blackish or brown- 

 ish; rump, belly, wings, and tail dark blue (7) 



7. White spot over eye smaller, streaks on forehead light blue, (both 



sometimes indistinct) ; greater wing-caverts not barred 



Black-headed Jay. 



7. White spot over eye conspicuous, streaks on forehead bluish white 

 or pure white (never indistinct) ; greater wing-coverts barred 



with black Long-crested Jay. 



8. Wholly dull blue, brighter on head, duller on belly, throat 



white-streaked Pinion Jay. 



8. Below gray, under tail-coverts blue, with streaks on breast 

 and tinge of belly same color; back grayish blue with crown, 



nape, wings, and tail pure blue Woodhouse Jay. 



9. Black; shoulders, lower back, under parts, and wing tips white; tail 



9 to 12 inches Magpie. 



9. Gray; wings black, tail white with middle feathers black; tail 5 



inches Clarke Nutcracker. 



9. Gray ; head mostly white, lower parts ashy, tail narrowly white tipped . (10) 

 10. Occiput and hind crown blackish, this reaching to (often en- 

 circling) the eye ; in young crown colored as back . . . .Canada Jay. 

 10. Occiput only plumbeous gray, this not reaching to eye; young 



with crown white tinged with grayish brown 



Rocky Mountain Jay. 



475. *Pica pica hudsonica (Sabine) — Magpie. 



Resident. Formerly present over entire state (Norfolk, West 

 Point, Beatrice, Plattsmouth, Dixon county) , now restricted to west- 

 ern and especially northwestern portion of state, where it is still com- 

 mon; breeding in Sioux and Dawes counties, in winter east to Long 

 Pine and Badger in the Niobrara valley. 



477. *Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus) — Blue Jay. 



Entire state, resident, abundant eastward, uncommon westward. 

 Though present in winter, the majority retire farther south at that 



