ONTARIO. 



Raven. They are said to be common in the rock}' region of 

 Muskoka, where they probably nest on the cHffs. They are 

 believed to continue mated for life, and are often 

 heard expressing their feelings of conjugal attachment in what 

 to hmnan ears sounds but a dismal croak. 



18!1. CORVUS AMERICANUS Aud. 488. 



American Crow. 



Color uniform lustrous black, including the bill and feet ; nasal bristles 

 about half as long as the bill, throat feathers oval and blended ; no naked 

 space on cheeks. Length, iS-20 ; wing, 13-14 ; tail, about 8 ; bill, 1-75. 



Hab. North America, from the Fur Countries to Mexico. 



Nest, in trees, built of sticks and twigs, lined with moss and strips of bark. 



Eggs, 4 to 6 ; green, spotted and blotched with blackish-brown. 



While the Raven prefers to frequent the uncleared parts of 

 the country, the Crow delights in the cultivated districts, where, 

 in the opinion of the farmer, his services could well be 

 dispensed with. Though exposed to continued persecution, he 

 knows the range of the gun accurately, and is wide awake to 

 the intention of all sorts of ambuscades planned for his destruc- 

 tion, so that he thrives and increases in number as the country 

 gets more thickly settled. The Crows mostly leave us at the 

 approach of cold weather, yet should the carcase of a dead 

 animal be exposed, even in the depth of winter, it is curious to 

 observe how quickly it will be visited by a few individuals of 

 this species, which are probably remaining in sheltered parts of 

 the woods, and have some means of finding out where a feast is 

 to be had. Early in April the northern migration begins, and 

 the birds may be seen daily, singly, in pairs, or in loose 

 straggling flocks, passing toward the north-west. 



Family ICTERID^E. Blackbirds, Orioles, etc 



Genus DOLICHONYX Swainson. 



190. DOLICHONYX ORYZIVORUS (Linn.). 494. 



Boboliuk. 



Malt- in spring, black ; cervix buff ; scapulars, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ashy-white ; interscapulars streaked with black, buff, and ashy ; 



191 



