1 8 The Museum Gazette 



ON CROWS. 



[Extract from a Museum Lecture.) 



The Crow Family (Corvida). — The crow family (Corvidce) in 

 England consists of the Raven, the Carrion crow, the Hooded 

 crow, the Rook, the Jackdaw, the Chough, the Magpie and 

 the Jay ; we will leave out the Nut-cracker as being very 

 rarely seen in England. The birds which have been named 

 are remarkably alike in their general build ; you cannot doubt 

 their relationship. Look at the forms of their bodies, necks, 

 and heads, their large strong bills, and the prevalence of 

 glossy black in their plumage. None of them can in any 

 proper sense of the word sing ; all have hoarse, discordant 

 voices. All are long lived. In none can you easily distin- 

 guish the male bird from the female, not even in the gaily 

 feathered jay. There are exceptions to almost all the state- 

 ments just made, but they are so few that they rather support 

 the rule. Thus the jay has no black feathers and the chough 

 has a long and rather slender bill, still the resemblances are 

 such that we can feel no doubt that all are related, and what 

 comes to the same thing, that all are sprung from a common 

 stock. This is the lesson which I wish to illustrate and 

 emphasise. 



Permit me next to enforce my argument by referring to the 

 identity in habits and in moral character of this interesting 

 family of birds. They are all of them omniverous as regards 

 food ; nothing comes amiss, they will eat corn, roots and all 

 kind of vegetables, but they all prefer animal food. Most of 

 them will eat carrion and refuse. They have all very keen 

 scent and will go long distances in obedience to a savoury 

 summons. None of them are birds of passage and all show a 

 remarkable attachment to the homes of their childhood. All 

 are very intelligent, but none in the least degree conscientious. 



