The Crows 
101 
Family: Corvidae 
THE CROWS 
There is but one representative of this family, the jay, a 
permanent resident in Britain, that may be said to sing, and 
that only occasionally. 
New Zealand has two representatives of the family; the blue- 
wattled crow, peculiar to the North Island, and the orange- 
wattled crow, peculiar to the South. 
Glaucopis wilsoni the North Island or blue-wattled ciow kokako 
Glaucopis einerea the South Island or yellow-wattled crow kokako 
The North Island crow —Dark bluish-grey with a black band 
from the nostrils to the eye. Tail olivaceous black. Wattle 
entirely blue. Eye dark brown. Bill and legs black. Total 
length 174 in., of which the tail is 7f in. 
Egg .—Pale stone-grey, spotted with purplish-grey. Length 
nearly 1-| in. 
Habits.—‘The blue-wattled bird,” writes Potts (PO, p. 197), 
i c seems very near akin to our southern bird in its familiar 
ways and habits; in the woods at Oropi, near Tauranga, the 
writer, some years since, had very good opportunities of seeing 
it quite at home picking and feeding in the low-growing 
bushes and shrubs that form the undergrowth amongst the 
lofty forest trees. It is gregarious, assembling in small com¬ 
panies, the members of which are restless, shifting from shrub 
to shrub, hopping and climbing from spray and bough as they 
make their way, progressive through the tangled foliage. 
With caution they allow a close approach, affording frequent 
views of their dark yet handsome plumage, the deep velvety 
head feathers set off the blue wattles to advantage , their quaint 
movements are peculiarly their own; the music of theii so t 
flute-toned notes is particularly delightful to listen to, it is one 
of the sweetest charms of the wild forest life. 
