Crass Il. PA ye 
large black fpots. The forehead is white, ftreak- 
~ ed with black: the head is covered with very 
long feathers, which at pleafure it can erect into 
the form of a creft: the whole neck, back, breaft 
and belly are of a faint purple dafhed with grey, 
the covert feathers of the wings are of the fame 
color. : 
The firft quil feather is black; the exterior webs 
of the nine next are afh-colored, the interior webs 
dufky: the fix next black; but the lower fides 
of their exterior webs are white tinged with blue ; 
the two next wholly black ; the laft of a fine bay 
color tipt with black. 
The lefier coverts are of a light bay: the great- 
er covert feathers moft beautifully barred with a 
lovely blue, black and white: the reft black: the 
rump is white. The tail confifts of twelve black 
feathers. The feet are of a pale brown: the claws 
large and hooked. It lays five or fix eggs, of a 
* dull whitith olive, mottled very obfcurely with pale 
brown. The neft is made entirely of the fine fi- 
bres of roots of trees; but has for a foundation 
fome coarfe fticks: it is generally placed on the 
top of the underwood, fuch as hazels, thorns, or 
low birch. The young follow their parents till 
the fpring: in the fummer they are very injurious 
to gardens, being great devourers of peafe and cher- 
ries; in the autumn and winter they feed on acorns, 
from whence the Latin name. Dr. Kramer* 
® Kram. eleach. 335. 
obferves, 
227 
