Order II. PASSERES. 
Tribe IV. Conirostres. 
Family 1. CoRViD.i:, 
The fourth Subfamily, 
CORVINiE, or Crows, 
have the Bill of various lengths, the base broad, and the sides compressed, with the culmen more or less 
curved to the tip, which is usually entire ; the nostrils entirely concealed by the projecting frontal 
plumes, except when the head or cheeks are denuded of feathers ; the Wings long and slightly rounded ; 
the Tail long and graduated, or moderate and nearly equal ; the Tarsi lengthened, and covered in front 
with broad scales ; the Toes moderate, strong, and the lateral ones of equal length. 
NUCIFRAGA BtisS* 
Bill longer than the head, and strong, with the culmen elevated at the base, and sloping to the tip, 
which is entire ; the lateral margins straight, but with the base angulated ; the gonys very long and 
ascending ; the nostrils basal, lateral, and covered by the frontal bristles. Wings long and rounded, 
with the fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail moderate, and rounded on the sides. Tarsi longer than 
the middle toe, and covered in front with broad scales. Toes long, strong, and strongly scuteUated ; the 
outer toe rather shorter than the inner, and united at the base ; the claws long, curved, and acute. 
It is in the woods and forests of the mountainous parts of Europe and Asia that these birds are usually noticed in 
pairs, though they are sometimes observed in large flocks ; and in some portions of Europe they migrate according to 
the seasons. Larvae and perfect insects form the chief portion of their subsistence ; these they obtain from the trimks 
of trees, which they are capable of ascending in the same manner as the woodpeckers. Seeds of fir trees and nuts are 
also a part of theh food ; these they break and extract by repeated strokes of their bdls. They select for a nest a hole 
in a decayed tree ; and, if it is not sufficiently large for their purpose, they increase its size by means of their bills. The 
eggs are usually deposited therein to the number of five or six. 
1. N. caryocatacte.1 (Linn.) Briss. PI, enl. 50. — Corvus nuci- 2. N. hemispila Vigors, Proc. Z. S. 1830. p. 8., Gould, Cent, 
fraga Nils. ; X. guttata VieUt. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. pi. 
* Brisson established this genus in 1 jCO (Vntitho/oyie). Curyocutavles of ( uvier (1817) is coequal. 
