418 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSEBES — OSCINES. 
acute and much curved, especially that of the hind toe; the lateral reaching beyond base of the 
middle claw. Coloration peculiar ; gray, with black-and-white wings and tail. Habits much 
the same as those of Nucifraga; alpine and sub-boreal, pinicoline, and pinivorous. One 
species, confined to W. Amer. 
344. P. columbia'nus. (Of the Columbia River. Fig. 270.) Clarke's Crow. $ 9 , adult : 
Gray, often bleaching on the head ; wings glossy black, most of the secondaries broadly tipped 
with white ; tail white, including 
the under coverts ; the central 
feathers and usually part of the 
next pair, together with the up- 
per coverts, black. Bill and feet 
black. Iris brown. Length 
about 12.50 ; extent 22.00; wing 
7.00-8.00; tail 4.00-5.00; tar- 
sus 1.35; bill averaging 1.67; 
feet from 1.25 to 1.75. Sexes 
alike in color, but 9 smaller than 
$ . Young similar, but browner 
ash. There is great difference 
Fig. 270. — Clarke's Crow, reduced. (Sbeppard del. Nichols sc.) shade in adults, the 
plumage when fresh being more glaucous-ash, wearing browner, and also bleaching in patches, 
especially on head. Coniferous belt of the West, N. to Sitka, S. to Mexico, E. to Nebraska, 
W. to the Coast Eanges ; the American representative of the European nutcracker, Nucifraga 
caryocatactes ; abundant, imperfectly gregarious. A remarkable bird, wild, restless, and noisy, 
sometimes congregating by thousands in the pineries of the W., roving in search of food. 
Breeds high in pines, in alpine and northerly localities, concealing the nest with care ; nest of 
sticks as a basis, on M^hich bark-strips, grasses, and other fibrous substances are well matted 
together. Eggs 1.20 X 0.90, light grayish-green, speckled and blotched with grayish-brown 
and lilac, chiefly about the larger end. 
108. GYMNOCIT'TA, (Gr. yu/ii/ds, gumnos, naked, as the nostrils are ; Kirra, Mtta, a jay.) Blue 
Crows. Bill of peculiar shape, with nearly straight culmen mounting on forehead, thus some- 
what as in Sturnella, between 
the prominent and somewhat 
antrorse antise, which, how- 
ever, do not hide the nostrils ; 
slender, tapering, acute, not 
notched ; gonys straightish, 
scarcely ascending. Nostrils 
small, oval, entirely exposed. 
Tail nearly square, much 
shorter than wings. Wings 
long, pointed, folding nearly 
to end of tail ; 4th primary 
longest, 3d and 5th scarcely Fig. 271. — Blue Crow, nat. size; culmen too convex. (Ad nat. del. E.G.) 
shorter ; 2d shorter, 1st shorter still. Feet stout, indicating somewhat terrestrial habits ; tar- 
sus longer than middle toe without claw, the envelope subdivided behind towards the bottom. 
Claws all large, strong, and much curved. Color bluish, nearly uniform : sexes alike. One 
species. 
345. G. cyanoce'phala. (Gr. Kvavos, hianos, blue ; KecfiaXr), lepJiaJe, head. Fig. 271.) Blue 
Crow. ^ : Dull blue, very variable in intensity, nearly uniform, but brightest on head, fading 
