Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/358

322 Its gait, while on the ground, is elevated and graceful, its ordinary mode of progression being a sedate walk, although it occasionally hops when under excitement. It not unfrequently alights on the backs of cattle, to pick out the worms lurking in their skin, in the same manner as the Magpie, Fish-Crow, and Cow-bird. Its note or cry may be imitated by the syllables caw, caw, caw, being different from the cry of the European Carrion Crow, and resembling the distant bark of a small dog.

At Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania I saw a pair of Crows perfectly white, in the possession of Mr Lampdin, the owner of the museum there, who assured me that five which were found in the nest were of the same colour.

I have placed the pensive oppressed Crow of our country on a beauti- ful branch of the Black Walnut tree, loaded with nuts, on the lower twig of which I have represented the delicate nest of our Common Humming Bird, to fulfil the promise which I made when writing the history of that species for my first volume.

In conclusion, I would again address our farmers, and tell them that if they persist in kiUing Crows, the best season for doing so is when their corn begins to ripen.

CORVUS Americanus.

CoRvus CORONE, Ch. Botiaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 56. — Nuttall, Manual, p. 209 Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 291, The Crow, Corvus corone, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 79. pi. 35. fig. 3. Adult Male. Plate CLVI.

Bill longish, straight, robust, compressed ; upper mandible with the dorsal line a little convex, decUnate towards the end, the sides convex ; lower mandible straight, the sides inclined obliquely outwards ; the edges of both sharp and inflected. Nostrils basal, lateral, round, covered by bristly feathers, which are directed forwards. Head large, neck of ordi- nary length, body of moderate proportions, the whole form rather com- pact and not inelegant. Legs of moderate length, strong ; tarsus ante- riorly scutellate, rather longer than the middle toe ; toes scutellate above, separated almost to the base ; first, second, and fourth nearly equal in length, third longest ; claws moderate, arched, compressed, acute.

Plumage of the back compact, of the head and neck blended, and