RAVEN 587 



cosmopolitan distribution ; but it is less strongly represented in 

 America than in other parts of the world, its only members 

 inhabiting the tract from the Isthmus of Darien to Uruguay being 

 a few allied to the jay. Black, or, more rarely, black-and-white, 

 is the predominant colour among the typical group. Some crows have, 

 however, a large amount of grey in their colouring ; and in certain 

 Indian species this is replaced by puce, which forms the ground- 

 colour of the typical representative of the jays. Of the latter 

 birds blue, either on the wings or elsewhere, is very characteristic ; 



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some of the members of this group being indeed brillianth- coloured, 

 long-tailed birds. None of the Corvida; are songsters, their notes 

 being of a harsh type, partaking in many instances either of the 

 nature of a croak or a scream. 



From the greater part of the British Isles the harsh " croak " of 

 the raven has long since disappeared for ever ; but this fine species is 

 still resident in some of the wilder parts of England, where its favourite 

 haunts are tall cliffs by the sea, and more rarely inland cliffs. In 

 Scotland, more especially the western districts, ravens are, however, 

 much more numerous ; and in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides they 

 are still quite common birds. In North Uist, despite active persecu- 

 tion on the part of keepers, as many as six-and-twenty ravens have 



