Order II. PASSERES. 
Tribe IV. Conirostres. 
Family I. Corvids. 
i he fourth Subfamily, 
CORVIN.E, or Crows, 
have the Bill of various lengths, the base broad, and the sides compressed, with the culmen moie oi less 
curved to the tip, which is usually entire ; the nostrils entirely concealed by the projectin 0 front 
plumes, except when the head or cheeks are denuded of feathers ; the Wings long and slightly 1 ound , 
the Tail long and graduated, or moderate and nearly equal ; the Tarsi lengthened, and covered ’ 
uith broad scales ; the Toes moderate, strong, and the lateral ones of equal length. 
Nucifraga Briss* 
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 \eiy lon D 
ascending ; the nostrils basal, lateral, and covered by the frontal bristles. Wings long and rounded, 
Wlt h the fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail moderate, and rounded on the sides. Tarsi longer t an 
the middle toe, and covered in front with broad scales. Toes long, strong, and strongly scutellated ; the 
outer toe rather shorter than the inner, and united at the base ; the claws lon ft , curve , 
It is in the woods and forests of the mountainous parts of Europe and Asia that these “ 
Pairs, though they are sometimes observed in large flocks; and in some portions of Europ - ® 
the seasnna r .... , , . • . of their subsistence; these they obtain irom the nun 
;h they are sometimes observed in large flocks; and m some por ions o retain f ro m the trunks 
seasons. Larva* and perfect insects form the chief portion of their subsistence ; ese ^ ^ nuts are 
°, treeS ’ which the y are capable of ascending in the same manner as the vv0< j P^ e ^j T} select for a nes t a hole 
alS0 a P art of their food ; these they break and extract by repeated strokes of then b • J The 
ln a decayed tree ; and, if it is not sufficiently large for their purpose, they increase its size by means 
e ggs are "»™n- J * ■’ • . ,1 1 ffi™ aiv. 
: usually deposited therein to the number of five or six. 
1. N. 
earyocatactes (Linn.) Briss. PL enl. 50. — Corvus nuci- 
2. N. hemi 
fraga Nils - > N. guttata Vie.Ul. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 
pi. 
ispila Vigors, Proc. Z. S. 1830. p 
8., Gould, Cent. 
* Brisson established this genus in 1760 ( Ornitholoyie ). Caryocatactes of Cuvier (1817) •* c< *1 uaL 
