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CORVINE. 
Crows, ( Corvida ,) of comparatively small extent. 
The members of it are mostly of a large size, and 
are clothed, with the exception of one sub-family, 
in dark and unobtrusive colours. The European 
genera are also limited, and in our Fauna we 
possess representatives of only five, which stand in 
three of the sub-families. That which we shall first 
consider is the sub-family Corvina, or True Crows, 
exhibiting three British modifications of form in 
the genera Corvus, Pica, and Nucifraga. In the 
genus Corvus, or typical crows, the size is large ; 
the colours of the plumage, with very few excep- 
tions, black, occasionally contrasted with gray or 
pure white. In form they are made extremely 
compact and powerful ; they possess strong organs 
for sustaining flight, are active and daring in 
their manners, but extremely wary ana cunning, 
while at the same time they are easily tamed, 
and soon become forward and familiar. They 
are social, and many species live constantly in 
bands, and breed together in large communities. 
They are in a great measure omnivorous, but feed 
chiefly during summer and autumn on grains, 
fruits, roots, and insects with their larvae, often 
serving by their perseverance to keep in check 
the ravages of the latter. During winter and 
spring, weak and sickly animals and birds fall an 
easy and acceptable prey, and carrion of all kinds 
is quickly discovered and eagerly devoured by 
them. The latter propensity has been attributed 
to their keen scent ; but whether this sense is so 
very fully developed, as to enable them to dis- 
