136 THE RIDDLE OF MIGRATION 



were made to collect some of these birds but none 

 was successful. This is good country for ravens but 

 it seems quite certain that the birds reported were 

 actually crows. Both species are well known to 

 local residents, both in appearance and in voice, the 

 latter entirely distinctive even to a novice. No 

 reports whatever were received from other equally 

 likely places where ravens abound, e.g. Lac la Biche. 

 The reports came in quite independently, none of 

 the senders being aware that others had made 

 similar observations. Moreover, the reports orig- 

 inated in several cases with people who were entirely 

 ignorant of the experiments and were forwarded to 

 me through other channels. The second of the two 

 Whitecourt birds, for instance, was shot on Febru- 

 ary 28 by a trapper in the wilderness on the far side 

 of the Athabasca River who had no idea that crows 

 had been liberated in the Province that winter. He 

 first saw the bird at a distance and came to the 

 conclusion that it was a crow. Ravens had period- 

 ically been around his camp. The sight of a crow 

 so astonished him that to make sure he was not 

 suffering from delusions he got his rifle and shot it. 

 On examining it he noted the band, which was duly 

 preserved. In May he returned to Edmonton, 

 exhibited the band and recounted the episode at a 



