Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/50

Fig. 1. — Urocissa m. occipitalis.

Family CORVIDÆ.

The intrinsic muscles of the syrinx fixed to the ends of the bronchial semi-rings. The edges of both mandibles smooth, or the upper one simply notched; hinder aspect of tarsus smooth, composed of two entire longitudinal laminæ; wing with ten primaries; tongue non-tubular; nostrils clear of the line of forehead, the lower edge of the nostril generally nearer to the commissure than the upper edge is to the culmen; plumage of the nestling like that of the adult but paler; nostrils hidden by feathers and bristles; rectrices twelve; sexes absolutely alike; an autumn moult only.

In this family the first primary is long, exceeding half the length of the second, whilst the bill exceeds its depth in length.

It contains the Crows, Magpies, Jays, Nutcrackers, and