SATIIEIGIEIR OS AR 303 
but his genus was still too extensive, and, besides, was not 
natural, as it included the wax-wings, a very distinct genus, 
that had always been forced into others. The only advantage 
it possessed over that of Latham was,.that all the species it 
comprised exhibited its artificial characters. As restricted by 
Brisson, Vieillot, and lately adopted by Temminck, by whom 
it was previously much limited, it is perfectly natural ; though 
we cannot help remarking that some even of the eighteen 
species enumerated by the latter in his article on the gene- 
ralities of the crows, in the Planches Colorées, may again be 
separated, such as Corvus Columbianus, Wils., which ought, 
perhaps, to constitute a genus by itself. Vieillot, and other 
recent writers on ornithology, have long since adopted the 
genus Garrulus as distinct even from P7ca, though we prefer 
retaining the latter merely as a subgenus of Garrulus, since 
it is absolutely impossible to draw the line of separation 
between them without resorting to minute and complicated 
distinctions. 
The jays and magpies, in fact, require to be distinguished 
from the crows, as a genus, on account of their form, colour, 
habits, and even their osseous structure. Their upper man- 
dible, somewhat inflected at tip, and the navicular shape of 
the lower, afford obvious characteristic marks, Their wings, 
too, are rather short, and do not reach by a considerable space 
to the tip of the tail, which is long, and more or less rounded, 
sometimes greatly wedge-shaped. On the contrary, the crows 
have long wings, reaching almost or quite to the extremity of 
the tail, which is short, and even at tip. The identity in the 
shape of the wings and tail, and even the colours of their 
plumage, which agree in all the species and in different 
climates, render the crows a very natural and well-marked 
eroup. The black plumage and offensive odour, which cause 
them to be viewed everywhere with disgust, and even some- 
what of superstitious dread, are far from being characteristics 
of the neat and elegant jays. 
The true Corvéare distinguished by the following traits :— 
