PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 159 



upon the victims, tbey cany them up iuto the air and let them fall from 

 a great height. If the first fall does not kill the rat, he is captured 

 again and carried higher. The rats are eaten by ravens. 



I shot at a raven at Cape Lisburne, August 21, but failed to kill it. 

 On the following day I heard one at a distance on one of the hills, 10 

 miles to the eastward of this cape. 



Again, at Chamisso Island, Eschscholtz Bay, I attempted to kill a 

 raven with small shot and failed. 



I saw, but could not obtain, a fine bird of this species at Elephant 

 Point, Eschscholtz Bay, September 2, 1880. 



At Port Providence, Plover Bay, Siberia, ravens were extremely 

 abundant September 14, and so gorged with blubber and overrun with 

 parasites that it was too disgusting to i)repare skins of them. At the 

 head of the spit I watched their movements for some time, as they did 

 not fear me while I sat still and made no sudden movement. They 

 would alight close to my head and look at me with apparent curiosity, 

 uttering now^ and then a hoarse call to other ravens flying near at hand. 

 Hopping forward a step or two, they would pull oft' pieces of moss from 

 the stones and jump slightly into the air in an aft'ected sort of way, 

 sometimes taking a good-sized stone in the beak, perhaps to see if any 

 food might be concealed underneath. Occasionally, one would find a 

 morsel, and then another would try to take it out of his bill, the lucky 

 one seeming to hold out the prize temptingly, but firmly, to tantalize 

 his covetous neighbor. In starting to tly they would strike the ground 

 with their feet several times to gain an impetus. 



27. CoRVUS CAURiNUS, Baird. 



81396 (3239) 9 ad. Sitka, June 16, 1880. 

 81395 (3240) $ " " " " " 



Abundant at Sitka, May 28 to June 16, 1880, associated with the pre- 

 ceding. Voice variable, usually less ringing and hoarser than that of 

 C.frngii'orus, but sometimes an exact counterpart of it. Without some 

 definite and reliable mode of recording the notes of this fish crow for 

 comparison with those of the common eastern species, there must be 

 doubt as to the relation between the voices of the two birds. 



A small flock was seen at George Island, Port Althorp, June 19, 1880, 

 perched on the rocks, and feeding on a gravel beach at low tide. 



