198 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The ravens possess a great range of notes, from their customary melan- 

 choly croaks, through numerous performances in striking imitation of 

 other birds such as geese and gulls, up to the melodious accomplish- 

 ment first mentioned." 



Mr. Tuttle took his flight pictures of ravens by imitating their rallying 

 cry, which, he says "is rather like the second note of the peacock's 

 raucous call — 'harraowh'. More than any bird I know, the raven will 

 converse with himself for hours at a time, a curious gargling, strongly 

 inflected talk. It is not very hard to steal up on him when he is so en- 

 gaged." He adds the following, as the raven's conversation: Cdhonk- 

 cahonk ; czvaanh; cwahonk ; onk-onk; craaounk; and koeh, koch. 



Dr. Dickey says in his notes that "they rarely give evidence of what 

 may also be called a song, so ardently do they vent a long, drawn-out 

 strain, such as spor-spree-sprnck-spur-per-rick-rur-ruck. Lisps, croaks, 

 buzzing sounds, and gulps may be heard at odd intervals from ravens 

 in the breeding season." 



Mr. Zirrer writes in his notes: "From the middle of August to about 

 the end of September, and as a rule in the afternoons only, they con- 

 gregate in a secluded spot of heavy timber and hold their daily concerts. 

 For this purpose they select one or two of the tallest trees, sit facing 

 one another and sing, mostly solo, but sometimes more at once. The 

 song is a musical warble, not very loud and, considering their size and 

 otherwise rough, croaking call, extremely attractive. The birds. hov»'ever. 

 are very alert throughout the performance and when frightened once 

 will not return to the same spot again, but otherwise they will return 

 daily." 



Field mwks. — To the casual observer a raven may look like just a 

 large crow and so not be rec.ognized. But to the trained eye of an 

 ornithologist there are several points of difference. The raven is de- 

 cidedly larger, with a wing expanse of over 4 feet, against less than 3 

 feet in the crow ; its tail is also proportionately longer and more rounded. 

 But size alone is not a safe guide unless there is direct comparison at 

 the same distance. 



Its voice is quite distinctive, as explained above, though young ravens 

 sometimes "caw" like crows. And its flight is very different from that 

 of the crow, swifter and less steady, with frequent turnings from side 

 to side, accompanied by two or three rapid v/ing beats and with oc- 

 casional attempts at tumbling; its sailing or soaring flight is majestic 

 and often used. 



Mr. Tuttle says (MS.) : "The four field marks by which one can 

 most easily distinguish the raven from the crow, lacking the presence 

 of both birds for size comparison, are the heavy, triangular head, with 



