Corvus Nuttalli.
PLATE CCCLXII. Adult.
I have conferred on this beautiful bird the name of a most zealous, learned, and enterprising naturalist, my friend Thomas Nuttall, Esq., to whom the scientific world is deeply indebted for the many additions to our zoological and botanical knowledge which have resulted from his labours. It is to him alone that we owe all that is known respecting the present species, which has not hitherto been portrayed. In a note inserted by him in my journal, he says:
“As we proceed to the south in Upper California, around the village of Sta. Barbara, we find the Common Magpie substituted by this remarkable species, which is much more shy and cautious, as well as more strictly insectivorous. It utters, however, nearly if not quite the same chatter. In the month of April they were everywhere mated, and had nearly completed their nests in the evergreen oaks of the vicinity (Quercus agrifolia). The only one I saw was situated on a rather high tree, towards the summit, and much concealed among the thick and dark branches. Their call was pait, pait; and on approaching each other, a low congratulatory chatter was heard. After being fired at once, it seemed nearly impossible again to approach them within gun-shot. When alighted in the thick oaks, they remained for a considerable time silent, and occasionally even wholly hid themselves; but after a while the call of recognition was again renewed, and if the pair then met, they would often fly off a mile or more, without stopping, in quest of insects. We often saw them on the ground, but never near the offal of the oxen, so attractive to the Crows and Ravens around.”
Corvus Nuttalli.
Adult. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 1.
Bill almost as long as the head, straight, robust, compressed; upper mandible with the dorsal line convex and declinate, the sides sloping and slightly convex, the edges sharp, with a slight notch close to the tip, which is rather sharp; lower mandible straight, the angle rather long and wide, the dorsal outline very slightly convex and ascending, the sides sloping outwards and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inclinate, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish, covered by bristly feathers, which are directed forwards.
Head large, ovate; eyes of moderate size; neck rather short; body compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus with seven large scutella in front, and two long plates behind, meeting so as to form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, and separated almost to the base; first very strong; lateral toes nearly equal, third considerably longer. Claws strong, arched, compressed, sharp, the third with the inner edge somewhat dilated.
Plumage full, soft, blended; stiff bristly feathers, with disunited filaments over the nostrils, some of them extending nearly half the length of the bill; feathers on the throat with the shaft downy and prolonged. Wings of moderate length, much rounded; the first quill very short, extremely narrow, and falciform; the second two inches and four and a half twelfths longer, and a little longer than the ninth; the third an inch and one twelfth longer than the second, and three twelfths shorter than the fourth, which is the longest. The tail is very long, much graduated, the lateral feathers being four inches and seven twelfths shorter than the middle.
Bill pure yellow, as is a bare space under and behind the eye. Iris hazel. Feet black. The plumage of the head, neck, fore part of the breast and back, brownish-black, the feathers on the latter part being very long, those on the upper part of the head strongly glossed with green; the shafts of the throat-feathers greyish, and those of the feathers on the middle of the neck white. The feathers on the middle of the back are light grey, some of them whitish, and those behind tipped with black; rump and tail-coverts brownish-black. The scapulars are white; the smaller wing-coverts splendent with bronzed green; primaries black, glossed with shining green, their inner webs white, excepting at the end, and for some way along the margin; secondaries bright blue, changing to green, their inner webs greenish-black. Tail splendent with bright green, changing to greenish-yellow, purplish-red, bluish-purple, and dark green at the end; the inner webs chiefly greenish-black, but with various tints. The breast and sides are pure white; the legs, abdominal region, lower tail coverts, and lower wing-coverts, black.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 11 1/2; wing from flexure 7 3/4; tail 9 10/12; bill along the ridge 1 4/12; tarsus 1 11/12; first toe 7/12, its claw 7/12; middle toe 1 2/12, its claw 6/12.