272 LAND-BIRDS. 



a. Twenty inches long or less. Lustrous black; reflec- 

 tions chiefly violet. 



h. The nest is placed from twenty to eighty feet above 

 the ground, commonly in a pine (or a cedar), and often so as 

 to be almost entirely concealed from beneath. It is usually 

 hollowed to the depth of several inches, and is, for so large a 

 bird, a very neat structure. It is composed of various mate- 

 rials (frequently including dry grass), of which the most char- 

 acteristic are generally the sticks outside, and the lining of 

 bark (consisting of strips taken from cedars or grape-vines). 



It is, in Massachusetts, finished between the tenth of April 

 and the tenth of May ; and four or five eggs are then laid. 

 These average about 1.60 X 1.25 of an inch, and are spotted 

 sometimes coarsely and sparsely, sometimes thickly and finely, 

 occasionally in both ways. The ground-color is a gTcen of 

 varying shade ; the markings are variously brown, olive, 

 dusky, and rarely purplish. The eggs of the Eaven and Fish 

 Crow differ but little except in size, the former being more 

 than an inch and three quarters long, the latter much less. 

 The Ravens usually build on cliffs. 



The eggs of the Crow often exhibit abnormal forms, among 

 which Dr. Brewer enumerates some which are green but un- 

 marked, some which are wliite but spotted with reddish 

 brown, and one which has different grounds on the opposite 

 sides. Another, in my collection, has a strong bluish tinge, 

 like that of a Thrush's ^gg^ and only a few dark spots. 



c. The Crows are common residents in eastern Massa- 

 chusetts throughout the year. How far to the northward 

 they may be found in winter I cannot say. During that 

 season they are not uncommon near the sea, where they most 

 readily obtain food. As their habits vary with the seasons, 

 it is interesting to observe the changes. I shall therefore 

 begin their biography by detailing the life which they lead 

 from the opening of the year until the period of courtship. 



The Crows are said to suffer extremely from cold weather 

 in certain parts of the country, and even to die of starvation ; 

 but, near Boston, they seem to fare very well. At night they 

 roost in thick evergreens, to which they retire j^romptly at 



