244 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Hab. United States, from Atlantic to Pacific ; rare in the Middle Province and on 

 Missouri Plains, and on northwest coast. N. E. Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 494). North 

 to Great Slave Lake, Fort Rae, and Nelson River, H. B. T. 



The C. americanus has no analogue in Europe, though the C. corone some- 

 what resembles it. The most important feature of distinction appears to lie 

 in the structure of the feathers of the head and neck, which in C. corone are 

 narrow, with the tips distinct, while in the American bird these tips are 

 blended together and do not maintain their individuality. The feathers on 

 the fore-neck in corone are also lanceolate and distinct, showing the outline 

 of each one as in the Eaven, while in the American Crow they are three 

 times as broad, rounded, and entirely blended. Mr. Audubon further 

 remarks that the neck of the European bird is glossed witli green and blue, 

 while that of the American has a decided purplish-brown tinge. 



Prince Maximilian states, in addition, that the note differs in the two 

 species. 



Habits. The Common Crow of North America is found in great abun- 

 dance in all the Eastern States, from Texas to Florida, and from the Missouri 

 to Nova Scotia. A few are found beyond the Great Plains, and they also 

 extend their migrations, in summer, into high Arctic regions. Kichardson 

 found them as far north as the 55th parallel, but was in error when he stated 

 that beyond this they do not go. He adds that none approach within five or 

 six hundred miles of Hudson's Bay. They were observed at Cross Lake and 

 at Lake Winnepeg by Mr. Kennicott, at Big Island by Mr. Eeid, at Port 

 Eae by Mr. Clarke, and at Fort Anderson and on the Lower Anderson Eiver 

 by Mr. MacFarlane, who also found them breeding even at this high latitude. 

 They were not seen in Eussian America, and Dr. Cooper thinks that the 

 species does not occur in California, or, if at all, only rarely, but that it is 

 there replaced by C. caurinus. 



Mr. Eidgway found the Crow of very rare occurrence in the interior. A 

 very few were seen in the Truckee meadows, in November, and others at the 

 Humboldt marshes, in October. These western birds were exceedingly un- 

 suspicious and familiar, so much so that those seen in the Humboldt marshes 

 were walking about with all the familiarity of domestic pigeons, only hop- 

 ping aside as they were approached. None were seen eitlier in spring or 

 summer. 



In Western Iowa Mr. Allen states that he saw but very few of this spe- 

 cies, and even in Northern Illinois it w^as not very common. At the West 

 this bird is reported to be held in better estimation than at the East, by the 

 farmers. It is not known to pull corn, and seems to be entirely unsuspi- 

 cious. It is regarded generally as a benefactor, and not only deserves, but 

 receives, good treatment. In Indiana he found it more common. 



D^. Coues met with a single individual on the Labrador coast. In Nova 

 Scotia it is much more abundant, and there, as on the Western prairies, being 

 unmolested by the inhabitants, it is exceedingly unsuspicious, and will per- 



