^22 BULLJ511N 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



I thought nothing of it, the sight being so much an every-day matter, till after 

 a little I began to be aware that the whole flock seemed to be concentrating its 

 attention upon my unsuspecting, inoffensive self. There must have been fifty of tlie 

 big black birds. Round and round they went in circles, just above my head, 

 moving forward as I moved, vociferating every one as he came near, "quark, 

 quark." 



At first I was amused; it was something new and interesting. * * ♦ But before 

 very long the novelty of the thing wore off; the persecution grew tiresome. Enough 

 is as good as a feast; and I had had enough. "Quark, quark," they yelled, all 

 the while settling nearer, — or so I fancied, — till it seemed as if they actually 

 meant violence. They were doing precisely what a flock of crows does to an 

 owl or a hawk; they were mobbing me. * * * The commotion lasted for at least 

 half a mile. Then the birds wearied of it, and went off about their business. 

 All but one of them, I mean to say. He had no such notion. For ten minutes 

 longer he stayed by. His persistency was devilish. It became almost imbearable. 

 The single voice was more exasperating than the chorus. ♦ ♦ ♦ "Quark, quark!" 

 the black villain cried, wagging his impish head, and swooping low to spit the 

 insult into my ear. 



On another occasion he watched the playful antics of a flock of ravens 

 going to their roost, of which he says : "Again and again, in the course 

 of their doublings and duckings, I saw the birds turn what looked 

 to be a complete sidewise somersault. * * * Sure I am that more than 

 once I saw a bird flat on his back in the air, * * * and to all appearance, 

 as I say, he did not turn back, but came up like a flash on the other 

 side." On subsequent occasions he concluded "that the birds turned but 

 halfway over ; that is to say, they lay on their backs for an instant, and 

 then, as by the recoil of a spring, recovered themselves." 



While the above play was going on, "another and a larger flock were 

 sailing in mazy circles after the manner of sea-gulls. * * * More than 

 once I have watched hundreds of the birds thus engaged, not all at the 

 same elevation, be it understood, but circle above circle — * * * till the 

 top ones were almost at heaven's gate." 



Field marks. — "The field character that best distinguishes the white- 

 necked raven from the crow, with which it intermingles on the north and 

 east boimdaries of its range in Texas and Oklahoma, is without ques- 

 tion the raven's less open-throated and distinctly lower-pitched and 

 guttural voice. Other distinguishing field characteristics are the raven's 

 slightly larger size ; its longer and coarser beak ; its slightly more rounded 

 tail silhouette when in flight ; and its tendency to soar, at which time 

 the tips of the primaries are separated and upturned. Occasionally, 

 also, the white bases of its neck feathers can be seen when the plumage 

 is ruffled by the wind." (Aldous, 1942). 



Economic status. — Mr. Aldous (1942) says about this: "It is ex- 

 tremely diflFicult to arrive at a generally applicable verdict with respect 

 to a bird with such varied habits and such an adaptable nature as the 



