BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



259 



CORVUS CORAX PRINCIPALIS Ridgway. 

 NORTHERN RAVEN. 



Admits {sexes alike). — Entire plumage deep glossy black; the wiiig- 

 covorts, secondaries, innermost primaries and tail glossed with violet 

 (the gloss on wings more purplish, sometimes inclining to bronze on 

 secondaries); primary -coverts and longer and outemiost primaries 

 glossed with })luish or greenish; under parts glossed with blue or 

 greenish blue, ])ecoming more violaceous on lanceolate feathers of 

 throat; shafts of primaries becoming whitish basallv; feathers of neck, 

 etc., light gray basalh'; bill, legs, and feet ))lack; iris deep brown. 



Adult ;nffZ/.— Length (t^kins), 022-675.5 (648.5); wing, 419.5-1:64 

 (438); tail, 235-259.5 (247); exposed culmen, 76.5-92 (81.5); depth of 

 1)111 at nostril, 26.5-31.5 (28.5); tarsus, 62-71 {i)^)\ middle toe, 43-54 

 (47.5); graduation of tail, 48-73.5 (54.5).'' 



Adult female.— h&ngt\\ (skins), 572-667 (624); wing, 413-440.5 (426); 

 tail, 229-246.5 (242); exposed culmen, (58-81.5 (76.5); depth of bill at 

 nostrils. 24-28 (26.5); tarsus, 63-73 (61.5); middle toe, 43-51 (46.5); 

 graduation of tail, 44.5-58.5 (50).* 



Arctic and Boreal Provinces of North America; south to eastern 

 British Provinces, portions of New England, and Atlantic coast of 



« Sixteen specimens. 



ft Fourteen specimens. 



Eastern and western specimens compare in average measurements as follows: 



Locality. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Ex- 

 posed 

 culmen. 



Depth 



of bill 



at no.s- 



trils. 



Middle 

 toe. 



Gradua- 

 tion of 

 tail. 



MALES. 



Ten adult males from Greenland, Un- 

 gava, ete 



Six adult males from Alaska 



Three adult males from British Colum- 

 bia 



One adult male from mountains of 

 Pennsvlvania 



432. 5 

 446.5 



437 

 432 



244. 5 

 2.50 



252 

 241.5 



81 

 81.5 



femai.es. 



Six adult females from Greenland, I'n- 

 gava, etc 



Kight adult females from .Vlaslca 



Twoadtdt females from British Colum- 

 bia 



Two adult females from Michigan and 

 mountains of Pennsylvania 409.5 2U.5 



426 

 426 



423 



246. 5 

 240 



241.5 



76.5 

 75.5 



73.5 

 74 



28.5 

 29 



26. 5 

 26. 7 



67.5 

 69 



69 

 73.5 



66 

 66.5 



65 

 62.5 



46.5 

 48.5 



50.5 

 47.5 



46 

 45.5 



57 

 .i3. 5 



58.5 

 58 



47.5 

 51.6 



71.5 

 43 



The specimens from British Columbia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania ^re not typical, 

 hut incline more or less toward C. c. sinnatus. Their measurements are not included 

 in the extremes and averages given in the diagnosis, which are restricted to mea.sure- 

 ments of specimens from Greenland, I'ngava, Alaska, and other extreme northern 

 localities. 



