The Tangier Raven 243 
parts, they never nest in colonies as do the Choughs. Rather do 
they keenly resent the intrusion of any of their species and each 
pair of Ravens establishes itself on some cliff or tree at some distance 
from others. From my own particular knowledge of the district 
where I saw these birds, I can vouch that there are certainly 
not more than six pairs nesting within a radius of five miles of the 
spot where these birds congregated. In view of what | am about 
to say about the Tangier Raven, I may add that I am positive 
that all these birds I saw were Common Ravens and_ further 
I draw a distinction between a processional movement of pairs 
of Ravens of the type I describe and a general assemblage of 
birds, such as one sees at times among the Ravens in Morocco, 
or Rooks in our own Islands. 
Over thirty-five years ago, the existence of a small species 
of Raven in Morocco was noticed by Colonel Irby and was first 
described by him in the /ézs of 1874 as Corvus tingitanus. 
According to Irby, this species is decidedly smaller than the 
Common Raven and its note is different, whilst so gregarious is 
it in its habits that it is no uncommon sight to see flocks of these 
birds feeding on the refuse along the sea-shore near Tangier. 
During my travels in Morocco I have seen such assemblages of 
Ravens myself but I have never shot any birds with a view to 
establishing their identity. The Tangier Raven has also been 
described as the Brown-necked Raven and Irby notes that many 
specimens are marked, more or less, with rusty brown on their 
wings and tail, although this colouring is of no importance in 
determining the species. In the task of identifying birds on the 
wing, especially when at a distance, size is one of the most 
difficult factors. Everybody who has attempted to pick out any 
particular species of Gull will know well what I mean. In 
such a case the appearance of some well-known species, such as 
an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, at once gives a “scale” 
