clark’s crow. 
249 
farmers of the United States, that, 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 
on those who sometimes plunder them, and those who 
never molest or injure their property. 
61 . CORVUS COLUMBIANUS , WILS. — CLAIUC’s CROW. 
WILSON, PLATE XX. FIG. II. 
This species resembles, a little, the jackdaw of Europe 
{corvus monedula) ; but is remarkable for its formi- 
dable claws, which approach to those of the falco genus ; 
and would seem to intimate that its food consists of 
living animals, for whose destruction these weapons 
must be necessary. In conversation with different in- 
dividuals of the party,* I understood that this bird 
inhabits the shores of the Columbia, and the adjacent 
country, in great numbers, frequenting the rivers and 
sea-shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all 
the gregarious and noisy habits of the European species, 
several of the party supposing it to be the same. The 
following description was taken with particular care, 
after a minute examination and measurement of the 
only preserved skin that was saved ; and which is now 
deposited in Mr Peale’s museum : 
This bird measures thirteen inches in length ; the 
wings, the two middle tail feathers, and the interior 
vanes of the next, (except at the tip,) are black, glossed 
with steel-blue ; all the secondaries, except the three 
next the body, are white for an inch at their extre- 
mities, forming a large spot of white on that part, when 
the wing is shut ; the tail is rounded ; yet the two 
middle feathers are somewhat shorter than those ad- 
joining; all the rest are pure white, except as already 
described ; the general colour of the head, neck, and 
* The exploring party, under Captains Clark and Lewis, men- 
tioned at p. 168 , by which this bird was discovered. 
