288 
CORVUS BULLOCKII. 
wing's, twenty-six. Audubon, when speaking 1 of this 
fine bird, has the following 1 remarks : — 
“ The g*enus corvus consists of birds which differ 
considerably in their appearance and manners. This 
circumstance has given rise to various separations and 
groupings. It may, in fact, be considered analogous 
to the great genera Falco , Psittacus , and Columba , 
which, although the species composing them exhibit 
great diversity, may be allowed to retain their integrity, 
because the gradations between the species are so 
minute, that each group presents an uninterrupted 
series. Were one to compare the golden eagle with 
the swallow-tailed hawk, the red macaw with the 
ground parrot of New Holland, or the great crested 
pigeon with the turtle dove, he might doubtless find 
reasons for separating these birds into genera, could he 
but forget that the intermediate gradations are to be 
seen. It is so with the crows and jays. The former 
are characterized by a certain gravity of aspect ; their 
flight is regular, protracted, and performed by easy 
flappings and sailings ; they frequent open places, and 
feed on almost all kinds of food indiscriminately ; their 
cry is a dull croak, or scream. The latter are much 
smarter in their appearance, more lively in their motions; 
their flight is less protracted, and performed by short 
flappings ; they frequent woods and thickets, and live 
chiefly on fruits ; and their notes are emitted in 
noisy chatterings. The bill of the crows is large, 
robust, cultriform, covered at the base with long, stiff, 
closely adpressed, reversed, bristly feathers ; that of 
some of the jays is much smaller, not robust, and 
approaching to the form of that of thrushes and nut- 
crackers, and the basirostral feathers are diminished 
in size and rigidity. The crows have shortish, even 
or rounded tails, with long and sometimes rather sharp 
wings. The jays have the tail often greatly elongated 
and cuneiform or graduated, with short, much rounded, 
concave wings. Numerous other contrasts are afforded, 
—•the crowds, for example, being generally dull and 
uniform in their colours, the jays variegated and often 
