CORONE. 5 



C3-en-a.s 00I201>TE, Kaup. 

 Corone australis. 



AUSTRALIAN RAVEN. 

 CorvHS coronoides, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., Vol. IV., pi. IS (1848). 

 CorviLs australis, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 475 (18G5) 

 Cor on", australis, Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. HI., p. 37 (1877). 



Adult male — General colour above an I beloiv black, glossed wit/i. purple; feathers of the throat 

 lanceolate in form and tinged with, i/reen : bases of the feathers on the upper parts dusky -qrey : bill 

 and lei/s, black; iris, ivhite. Total letiglh, in the flesh, .JO inches: inlnj IJ/.'?, tail 5'/, bill 2:5, 

 tarsus 2' 55. 



Adult fem.\lk — Simitar to the male in plamnye, bat slightly smaller, the lanceolate feathers 

 on the throat not so toeU developed. 



Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western and 

 North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South .Vustralia, Central Australia, Tasmania. 



/T^\HE Raven may be distin,L,'uished by the lontj lanceolate feathers on the throat, and the 

 -L dusky bases of the body feathers. Althou,c,'h generally distributed in suitable situations 

 over the greater portion of .Vustralia and Tasmania, they e\'ince a decided preference for the large 

 inland open plains of the States, and are seldom met with in thickly timbered country. They are 

 by far the most common birds inhabiting the plains between the Lachlan and Darling Rivers, in 

 the Central District of New South Wales, and they are equally abundant in tlie open expanses in 

 the western and north-western portions of the State. Frequently they are seen in company with 

 Conms coronoides. During winter they are gregarious, and in the daytime are associated in large 

 flocks, scattered o\er the plains. Just about dusk they may be observed flying swiftly a few 

 feet above the ground to their roosting-places in some thick clump of trees on the plain. While 

 winging their way they keep up a subdued cawing, which becomes very much louder after 

 reaching their destination, and is continued for some time after dark, when it suddenly ceases. 

 These birds are extremely wary, and it is difficult to get within shooting range of them unless 

 they can be approached under cover, which is rarely the case, or advantage is taken of visiting 

 their roosting-place at night. Poisoned baits, too, must be carefully laid for the Raven to take 

 them. Although generally shy and cunning, these birds are inclined to be inquisitive if an 

 unusual noise is heard, especially notes of alarm uttered by other species, or if there is a chance ot 

 a meal. At Enfield, one day, I found a nest of the Yellow-tufted Honey-eater, in a sapling scrub, 

 containing two nearly fledged young. • The parents were very excited and their cries brought 

 about a dozen angry and noisy birds within a few feet of me. .V Ra\en within half-a-minute 

 suddenly dashed in on the scene, but on discovering me in the undergrowth, beat a hasty retreat. 



The note of this species, which is usually uttered during flight is a loud and deep " gwar — 

 gwar — gwar-r," \aried occasionally "with a shrill and high-sounding " korr — korr." 



It is an omni\orous species, but has a partialitv for the flesh of any animal more than other 

 foods, and it is frequently found in the neighbourhood of slaughter-houses, and killing-yards 

 performirig with efficiency the duties of a general offal scavenger. It also feasts upon small 

 mammals, birds, and birds' eggs, lizards, frogs, different kinds of insects and small crustaceans 

 and other food picked up among the debris of tidal rivers. It destroys large numbers of 

 locusts and other injurious insects and assists in keeping the balance of nature, but, making 

 full allowance for this good quality, it is undoutedly the worst bird pest we have in .Vustralia. 



Pastoralists suffer to a considerable extent from the ravages of this bird, for it is exceedingly 

 destructixe in the lambing season, picking out the eyes or killing lambs, even while the mothers 



