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CORVUS CORONOIDES, Vig. and Hors:
White-eyed Crow.

Corvus Australis, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 151. ?—Gmel. Syst. Nat., vol. 1. p. 365. ?>— Daud. Orn., tom. 11. p. 226. ?
South Sea Raven, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. i. p. 363.2-—Cook’s Last Voy., vol. 1. p. 109. ?—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. i. p. 7.?
Corvus Coronoides, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 261.

Wir-dang, Aborigines of Western Australia.

Om-bo-lak, Aborigines of Port Essington.

Crow of the Colonists.

 

Turis species is so intermediate in size, in the development of the feathers of the throat, in its voice, and in
many parts of its economy, between the Carrion Crow and Raven of our own island, that it is difficult to
say to which of those species it is most nearly allied ; I prefer however placing it among the true Crows
to assigning it to a companionship with the larger members of the family. Every part of Australia yet
explored has been found to be inhabited by it; some slight difference however is observable between
individuals from Port Essington, Swan River, Van Diemen’s Land, and New South Wales, but these differ-
ences appear to me to be too trivial to be regarded as specific ; specimens from Western Australia are
somewhat less in size than those procured in the other localities mentioned. When the birds are fully
adult, the colour of the eye is white and is the same in the whole of them,—a circumstance which tends
to strengthen the opinion | entertain of their being one and the same species.

In Western Australia for the greater part of the year this bird is met with in pairs or singly; but in May
and June it congregates in families of from twenty to fifty, and is then very destructive to the farmer’s seed
crops, which appears to be its only inducement for assembling together, as it is not known to congregate
at any other period. In New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land it is also usually seen in pairs, but
occasionally congregated in small flocks. At Port Essington, where it is mostly seen in pairs, in quiet se-
cluded places, it is not so abundant as in other parts of Australia.

The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of insects, carrion of all kinds, berries, seeds,
grain, and other vegetable substances.

Its croak very much resembles that of the Carrion Crow, but differs in the last note being lengthened to
a great extent.

Its nest, which is formed of sticks and of a large size, is usually placed near the top of the largest gum-
trees. The eggs, which are three or four in number, are very long in form, and of a pale dull green colour,
blotched, spotted and freckled all over with umber-brown, the blotches being of a much greater size at the
larger end; they are about one inch and three-quarters long by one inch and an eighth broad.

The whole of the plumage rich shining purplish black, with the exception of the elongated feathers on
the throat, which are slightly glossed with green ; bill and feet black ; irides in some white, in others
brown.

The Plate represents a male, killed in Van Diemen’s Land, of the natural size.