282 SINGING BIRDS — OSCINES. 



Corvus carnivorus, Rartkam. 



THE AMEBICAN KAVEN. 



Corvus cnrniivriis, Baetram, Travels in E. Florida, 1793, 200. — IjATRd, P. B. Kcp. IX. 



Birds, 500; X. iii. 14, pi. xxi. — Cooper and Suckley, XII. iii. Zool. ofW. T. 210. 

 C'oiTHS coruT, Wilson, Am. Orn. IX. 182.5, 136; pi. Ixxv. f. 3. —Doughty, Cab. N. II. I. 



1830, 270; pi. xxiv. — NuTTALL, Man. I. 1832, 202. — AuDUUOS, Orn. Biog. II. 1834, 



476 ; pi. 101. In. Birds Amer. IV. 1842, 78 ; pi. 224. — Heermann, V. I!. Rep. X. vi. 



54. (Not of Linna;us, Euro]}ean. ) 

 Corras raca/y</, Newberry, P. K. Rep. VI. iv. 1857,82. — Baiud, P. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 



563. — Kennerly, X. iv. 31 ; pi. xx. (Not of AV.igler '.) 

 Cormis lugiibris, Agassiz, Pr. Boat. Soc. N. 11. II. Dec. 1840, 188. 



Sp. Char. Fourth (luill longest ; third and fifth about equal ; second between fifth and 

 sixth ; first nearly equal to the eighth. Tail moderately graduated ; the outer about l.Gd 



to 1.00 of an inch less th.an the middle. Entirely glossy blnck, with violet reflections. 

 Length, about 24 00 or 25.00 ; extent, 50 00 to 51.00 ; wing, about 17.00 ; tail, 10.00. Iris 

 brow'ii ; bill and feet black. 



JJub. Entire continent of North America. Rare east of the ^Mississippi. 



I obtained imuibers ol' the raven at Fort Mcijave, which, thongh more 

 brilliant than usual in Northern siDeciinens, did not .seem to differ enough in 

 size or proportions to separate them as a distinct species. The only ap- 

 proach to Professor Baird's " C. cacalotl " was in the more graduated tail 

 feathers of one, in which the outer were 2.10 inches shorter than the middle, 

 other specimens having them nearer alike. He gives the difference in C. 

 cncalotl at 2.30, while in C. carnivorus it ranges from 1.60 to 1.90. Still, my 

 specimens being intermediate, and the extremes of difference in all being 

 only 0.07 of an inch (" the lateral feathers where shortest not having fully 

 gro«-n out "), I do not think there is enough reason to distinguish them as a 

 distinct species. Their size is smaller than tlie average of Nortliern speci- 



