The Raven 



The adult is of a deep, glossy, blue black. The female 

 and young only differ from the male in having less lustre 

 on their plumage. Length 25 in. ; wing 1 7 in. 



THE CARRION CROW 



Corvus corone, Linnaeus 



With every man's hand against it, the Carrion Crow, 

 which as a scavenger might well be one of our most useful 

 birds, leads a harassed existence. Singly or in pairs it 

 wanders about the country, feeding on anything that comes 

 in its way. Carrion is its chief delight, but in default of 

 that it turns its attention to weak and sickly birds, mice, 

 rats, etc., and, as is the case with other members of the 

 Crow family, it does quite as much good by destroying 

 vermin as it does harm by destroying eggs and young birds. 



The nest is generally placed on the top of some high 

 tree or on the ledoe of a cliff. It is made of sticks with 

 an inner foundation of mud and warmly lined with wool, 

 bents, rabbit fleck, and hair. The eggs, three to five in 

 number, are very variable in markings, but except in size 

 resemble those of the Eaven. For a short time after the 

 young are fledged they wander about in family parties, but 

 they soon separate, and after August more than a pair are 

 seldom seen together, a fact which will help to distinguish it 

 at a distance from the Eook, who is nearly always gregarious. 

 In general appearance this bird is very like the Rook, but it 

 may be distinguished by the following characters. The bill 



163 



