BIRDS. 



1G7 



Both the Eskimo and Indians unite in accusing this bird of pecking out the eyes of new- 

 born reindeer and afterwards killing them, and they are notoriously mischievous in robbing 

 traps of bait, as is well known throughout the fur countries, though the thief frequently pays the 

 penalty by getting a foot in the trap. 



Although the common crow iV. amcricanus) has not been taken within the limits of the Terri- 

 tory, yet its known occurrence as far north as the Lower Anderson Eiver, within the Arctic Circle, 

 would api)ear to render it highly probable that they will be found on the Upper Yukon when more 

 careful explorations have been made. While wintering at Cumberland Gulf, on the west coast of 

 Davis Strait, Kumlieu found the ravens resident, and notes the fact that the Greenland birds are 

 much smaller than those from the mainland. He credits the raven with plucking out the eyes of 

 the reindeer and killing it, and also of capturing young seals. In this latter operation great intelli- 

 gence is shown. As an instance he observed that one bird dropped directly into the seal's hole 

 through the ice, thus barring its only means of escajje; then the second bird attacked the helpless 

 victim and brained it on the spot. Another pair he observed giving chase and cajituring the 

 northern hare after a long pursuit. They were in the habit of keeping about the camps and were 

 seen even after dark and on moonlight nights when food was scarce. The last English Arctic 

 expedition found ravens north to latitude 81o 44', which Captain Eeilden thinks is their northern 

 limit. 



The eggs obtained in Alaska are light green, with a variable amount of dark brown spotting. 

 These spots are usually scattered uniformly over the shell, but they vary greatly in size from small 

 rounded points to large irregular blotches. Six of these eggs from the Lower Yukon measured as 

 follows: 2 by 1.41; 1.9S by 1.42; 2 by 1.43; 1.92 by 1.43; 1.92 by 1.3S; and 1.90 by 1.3S. 



COEVUS COEAX SINUATUS. 



* This specimen is like the European birds in color and proportions, with eve 

 of the Syrian specimen. 



emarkabl J- sm.iU bill and very slender feet and I 



fAn adult bird, bu 



The foregoing measurements of the ravens in the National Museum collection were made 

 under the impression that sufflcient variation could be found to separate the Old and New 

 World birds into well-marked races. 



As the measurements show, however, specimens from various widely-separated North American 

 localities have as large an amount of variation as can be found between American and Old World 



