Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/308

272 mandible straight, the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides at the ba.se flat, towards the end rounded, the edges indinate. Nostrils basal, lateral, round, covered by bristly feathers. Head large, neck short, body mode- rate. Legs of moderate length, strong, tarsus compressed, covered ante- riorly with scutella, sharp behind ; toes united at the base, the middle toe long, the outer longer than the inner, the hind toe robust ; claws rather large, arched, compressed, acute, channelled beneath.

Plumao-e soft, highly glossed, on the head and neck blended, on the back compact. Stiff bristly feathers, with disunited barbs over the nos- trils, directed forwards and adpressed. Wings long, first primary short, third lono-est, fourth little shorter, seventh equal to first ; primaries taper- ing, second, third, fourth, and fifth, slightly cut out on the outer web ; secondaries broad, rounded with a minute acumen.

Tail of moderate length, shghtly rounded, of twelve straight feathers. Beak, tarsi, toes, and claws, black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the plumage is deep black, with blue and purple reflections above, blue and greenish beneath ; the colouring being almost the same as that of the Common American Crow.

Leno-th 16 inches, extent of wings 33 ; bill along the back 1^| ; tarsus 1| ; middle toe and claw li^.

Adult Female. Plate CXLVI. Fig. 2.

The female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in plu- mao^, although the gloss not quite so rich, and the reflections more brown on the upper parts.

Length 15 inches, extent of wings 31.

Glzditschia thiacanthos, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. iv. p. 1097. Pursh, Fl. Amer. vol. ii. p. 221 PoLYGAMiA DiiECiA, Linn. Leguminos^e, Juss.

See Vol. I. p. 226.