C O R V U S. 
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feeds of various kinds, mixed with fmall gravel, are 
found in its ftomach, we may infer, that they are nearly 
allied to the granivorous fpecies. In other refpedts they 
referable the carrion crow ; they have the fame inftinfts, 
the lame cry, and the lame flight; the ftrudhire of their 
tail, wings, bill, and feet, and the difpofition of their 
internal parts, are exactly the fame. It is a large bird, 
and weighs full twenty-two ounces ; its length is twenty- 
two inches, its alar extent twenty-three. It is certainly 
a bird of pallage with refpefl to England; appearing in 
the beginning of winter, and returning with the wood¬ 
cocks, They are often feen in fmall flocks near London, 
where they are feldom perfecuted, being fuppofed an 
ufefiil bird, by clearing the grounds of grubs and worms. 
It is found as far north as the Feroe iflands a-nd Lap- 
mark, where it continues the whole year, but chiefly on 
the fea-coaft, fubfifting on fhell-filh. Its toes are very 
broad and flat,which enables it to walk onmarfliy grounds. 
9. Corvus eremita, the hermit crow. This is a large 
fpecies, about the lize of a lien ; its plumage is black, 
with fine green refleftions, variegated with blue and 
purple ; feet red ; bill long and (lender, very proper for 
inferting into the ft flu res of rocks, and cracks in the 
ground, into the lioles of trees and walls, in fearch of 
inl'efts and worms, whiclnare its principal food. In its 
ftomach are often found portions of the mole-cricket. 
It eats all'o the larvae of the May-bug, and is ufeful on 
account of the havock which it makes among thefe de- 
ltruClive infefls. -The feathers on the top of its head 
are longer than the reft, and form a fort of creft, which 
hangs backwards; but this only appears after they are 
full grown, and again difappears when they are aged. 
Hence the reafon that in fome places they are called bald 
crows, and in fome deferiptions they are reprefented as 
having a yellow head marked with red fpots. Thefe 
colours are probably the tints of the (kin, which age 
leaves bare. The hermit crows fly very lofty,and generally 
go in flocks. They feek their food often in the mea¬ 
dows and marftiy grounds ; and always neftle on the tops 
of old deferted towers, or in the clefts of inacceflible 
rocks. Seniible, as it were, that their young are efteem- 
ed as delicate meat, and prized by the luxurious, they 
are careful to breed them out of the reach of man. But 
there are fome hardy enough torilk their lives, and allow 
themlelves to be let down by ropes from great Heights, 
to plunder the infant brood in their recelfes, and reap the 
moft dangerous .of harvefts. The females lay generally 
two or three eggs every hatch : and thofe who wifli to 
get the brood,, commonly leave a young bird in each 
neft, in order to invite them to return the following year. 
They are eafily tamed, and taught to ('peak, efpeciallyif 
they be taken before they can fly. They are migratory, 
and arrive in the country of Zurich towards the begin¬ 
ning of April, at the fame time with the (forks. Their 
nefts are fought for about Whitfuntide, and they depart, 
the earlieft of all the birds, in the middle of June. 
This fpecies inhabits the Alps, the lofty mountains of 
Italy, Stiria, SwilTeriand, Bavaria, and the high cliffs 
which border on the Danube, in the vicinity of Paflau 
and Kclkeym. They choofe for their retreat certain na¬ 
tural breaft-works, or cells of a.good afpedt, among the 
rocks, and hence the name klaujs-rappai, or monk-raven. 
10. Corvus Jamaicenfis, the Jamaica crow. This 
Weff-Indi.an fpecies feems modelled from our own, only 
its tail and feet are fmaller ; its plumage is black, like 
that of the carrion-crow. In its ftomach are found red 
berries, grain, and caterpillars ; which (hew that its or¬ 
dinary food is the fame with that of the hooded-crow. 
Its ventricle is mufcular, and lined in the inlide with a 
very ftrong coat. This bird abounds in the (outhern 
part of the bland, and never leaves the mountains, in 
which refpedt it refembles the raven. 
11. Corvus Caledonicus, the New Caledonian crow : 
length fifteen inches; bill (lout and black; irides pale 
yellow; eye-lids black; general colour of the plumage 
239 
cinereous, except the tail, which is five inches in length, 
and black ; legs black. Native of New Caledonia. 
12. Corvus pyrrhocorax, the Alpine crow: length 
fifteen inches; bill an inch and a quarter, and yellow; 
plumage wholly black ; legs and claws black; but in 
fome the legs are yellow. Inhabits the Alps; has a 
(harp difugreeable voice ; lives on grain, but does much 
damage to the harveft ; the flefin is reckoned good eating. 
13. Corvus balicaffius, the Philippine crow : fize of a 
blackbird; bill black; plumage black, gloffed with 
green; tail nearly four inches long, and much forked; 
legs and claws black. Inhabits the Philippine ides, 
where it is called bati-cajjio, and is laid to (ing well. 
14. Corvus Novae Guineas, the New Guinea crow- : 
fize of the daw ; bill ftrong and blackifh ; the forehead, 
and all round the bill, black; which paffes in a ftreak 
through the eyes, and a little behind them ; head, neck, 
back, and upper part of the bread, dark alh-colour; 
wings dufky, edged with white; the lower part of the 
bread, belly, thighs, vent, and upper tail coverts, are 
white, tranfverfely barred with black ; tail black ; legs 
ftiort and dufky. Native of New Guinea. 
13. Corvus Papuenfis, the Papuan crow: length ele¬ 
ven inches ; bill yellowifh ; the top of the upper man¬ 
dible angular; plumage greyi(la alh-colour, paled be¬ 
neath ; belly white ; quills dark brown ; legs fmall and 
a(h-coloured. Inhabits New Guinea, with the preceding. 
16. ’Corvus nudus, the bare-necked crow : fize of a 
jackdaw; bill broad at the bale and duiky blue; the 
head is covered with a kind of hood, like black velvet, 
compofed of (trait, ihort, jagged, foft feathers ; thefe 
are thinly placed on the neck, on the fore part, and al- 
rnoft bare on the ftdes and behind ; the reft of the plu¬ 
mage-black, with fome of the wing coverts and quills 
light grey. Native of Cayenne. 
17. Corvus calvus, the bald crow; lerjgth thirteen 
inches ; bill ratherbent, and of adufky black ; the plumage 
on the upper parts, ferruginous brown ; beneath paler, 
inclining to red, as are the upper tail coverts; legs 
dufky. The great lingularity of this bird confifts in the 
fore part of the head, which, as far as the crown, and 
beyond the eyes, is totally bare of feathers. Inhabits 
Cayenne. 
15. Corvus Pacificus, the Pacific crow: length ten 
inches and a half; bill notched near the tip and black ; 
the plumage on the upper parts is cinereous, beneath 
paler, verging to reddifh brown ; forehead and throat 
paler, almoft approaching to white ; among the feathers 
of this part are fome flender hairs ;• hind head and nape 
dufky black; quills black, with the tips dirty white; 
tail the fame, all but the two middle feathers, which are 
plain black ; legsamd claws black. Inhabits the regions 
of the Pacific Ocean. 
19. Corvus Tropicus, the Tropic crow : length twelve 
inches and a half; bill broad at the bale, and the tips of 
both mandibles notched; the plumage is glolly black 
above, but dull black on the under parts: wings and 
tail black, with a glofs of green; vent and fide feathers 
tipped with duiky white ; legs black. Native of O-why- 
hee, one of the Sandwich iflands, in the South feas. 
20. Corvus Stelleri, Steller’s crow : length fifteen in¬ 
ches ; bill black; at the gape are five or fix black 
bridles; the head is crefted, above two inches in length, 
compofed of narrow brown feathers ; general colour of 
the reft of the plumage purplilh black, inclining to green 
on the rump ; half the vying coverts are of a browniih 
black, the others deep blue ; the fecond quills are alfo 
blue, eroded with eight or nine bars of black, in the 
manner of the blue jay; the greater quills are black, 
with the outer edges blue-green ; the fore part of the 
neck and bread dufky; belly and vent pale blue; tail 
fix inches long, wedge (haped, and deep blue ; legs black. 
This bird was firft noticed by Steiler. It is a native of 
Nootka Sound,where it was met with by our laft voyagers, 
21. Corvus Canadenfis, the Canadian crow : length 
sine 
