249 
Clark’s crow. 
farmers of the United States, tliat, in their honest 
indignation against the common crow, they would spare 
the present species, and not shower destruction indis- 
criminately on their black friends and enemies ; at least 
cn those ■who sometimes plunder them, and those who 
I'fiver molest or injure their property. 
61. COltrUS COLUtlBlANUS, WIIS. — ccark’s CRO'VV. 
WILSOK, PLATE XX. FIG. U. 
Tuts species resembles, a little, the jackdaw of Europe 
(cori'tt.s moneehda) ; but is remarkable for its formi- 
ilahle claws, which approach to those of the falco genus; 
niid would seem to intimate that its food consists of 
hviiig animals, for whose destruction these weapons 
Jl'ist be necessary. In conversation with diti'erent iii- 
Iiividuals of the party,* I understood that this bird 
'"habits the shores of the Columbia, and the adjacent 
'"•uiitry, in great nuniber.s, frequenting the rivers and 
*J“a-shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all 
the gregarious and noisy habits of the Eurojieau species, 
jCccral of the party supposing it to be the s.ame. The 
"bowing description was taken with particular care, 
'for a minute exiunination .and measurement of the 
preserved skin that was saved ; and which is now 
"Ol>osited in Mr Peale’s museum : 
.This bird mea-sures thirteen inches in length ; the 
the two middle tail feathers, and the interior 
^""es of the next, (except at the tip,) are black, glossed 
"h steel-blue ; all the secondaries, except the three 
"’‘4 the bod 3 ’-, are tvhite for an inch at their extre- 
jy'f’e.s, forming a large spot of white on that part, when 
ho wing is shut; the tail is rounded; yet the two 
j |ddle feathers ore somewhat shorter than those ad- 
JO'iiing; all the rest are pure white, except as already 
‘"scribed ; the general colour of the head, neck, and 
ho* 7^0 exploring party, under Captains Clark and Lewis, men- 
at p. 16S, by which this bird was discovered. 
