560 



U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



About the size of C. americanus of the north ; the tarsus much longer ; bill larger. 



0. var. floridanus. 



Middle toe and claw decidedly longer than tarsus measured from the beginning of the 

 scutellae. Inner lateral claw not reaching to the base of the middle. Black, with 

 greenish reflection on the belly. Length 14 to 15 inches ; wing, 10.50 ; tail, less 

 than 7 inches C. ossifragus. 



CORVUS CARNIVORUS, B a r t r a ra . 

 American Raven. 



Coitus carnhorus, Bartram, Travels in E. Florida, 1793, 290 



Comis corax, Wilson, Am. Orn. IX, 1825, 136 ; pi Ixxv, f. 3 — Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 36.— Ib. Syn. 1828, 

 56.— Doughty, Cab. N. H. I, 1830, 270; pi. xxiv.— Rich. F. B. Am. II, 1831, 290— 



NuTTALL, Man. I, 1832, 202.— Aud Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 476 ; pi. 101.— Ib. Syn. 1839, 150 



Ib. Birds Amer, IV, 1842, 78 ; pi. 224. 



Con-US cacalotl, " Wagler," .'Bonap. Pr. Zool. Soc. 1837, 115. (Perhaps true cacaloll.) — Ib. List, 1838. Probably 

 not of Wagler. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 387. — Maximilian, Reise innere Nord Amer. II, 1841, 

 289. Does not consider it different from European. — Newberry, P. R. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 82. 



Corvvs lugubris, Agassiz, Pr Best. Soc. N. H. II, Dec. 1846, 188. 



Sp. Cn. — Fourth quill longest ; third and fifth about equal ; second between fifth and sixth ; first nearly equal to the eighth. 

 Length, about 24 or 25 inches ; extent, 50 to 51 ; wing, about 17 ; tail, 10. Tail moderately graduated ; the outer aboutw60 

 to 1 .90 of an inch less than the middle. Entirely glossy black, with violet reflections. 



Hab. — Entire continent of North America. Rare east of the Mississippi. 



In this species the feathers of the head above and body are compact and blended ; those of the 

 back of the neck are very smooth and even, but do not show the outlines of each separately as 

 elsewhere. On the chin and throat the feathers are elongated and lanceolate, each one more 

 or less pendent or free, with the outlines distinct to near the base. The bill is very long, (3 

 inches,) and considerably curved, the upper mandible extending considerably over the upper at 

 the end. 



The feet appear very short and stout ; the tarsi with but seven scutellae ; rather longer than 

 the middle toe and claw ; the lateral claws about equal, and extending to a little beyotod the 

 base of the middle claw. The fourth quill is longest ; the third about equal, to the fifth ; the 

 second considerably longer than the sixth ; the first about equal to the eighth primary. The 

 distances in inches from the end of tlie longest primary to the tips of the others are as follows : 



5186 

 .5865 



Upper Missouri , 

 Riley 



9th. 



6.40 

 5.70 



The tail is quite considerably graduated, the ends of all the feathers being visible from below. 

 The outer is about l.GG inches shorter than the inner, in one specimen, (58G5,) in another, it 

 is 1.90, (5186.) 



The color is everywhere lustrous black, dullest on tlie belly and top of the head. Tiierc is 

 generally a strong violet reflection on the lustrous feathers_, more greenish on the outer primaries. 



In the series before me I find considerable variation in size and proportions, even in specimens 

 from adjacent hicalities. Thus No. 5865, from Fort Kiley, has tlie bill 1.08 inches high or 



