con V us CARNIVOUS. 



451 



« r the eye backwards ami forwards A'ery rapidly. At this time they also uttered a croak 

 which resembled the alarm note of the Green Heron. I do not think that the males share 

 in the duties of incubation but they certainly care ior the young when they appear. I 

 found the fully fledged nestlings flying at Lake Ilarncy by the first week in jNIay, and jNlr. 

 Nauman writes me that they bring out two or even three broods in one season. I have 

 seen the Boat-tailed Grackles as far north as Pamlico Sound in North Cai'olina, on the 

 twentieth of November, and at Smithville on the twenty-second, but I did not meet with 

 them after this along the coast until we reached the St. John's River. This was during 

 the cold season of 1876-77 when they would be much more likely to seek warmer quai-tcrs. 

 I do not think, however, that they remain above Florida during winter, but they migrate 

 northward in the spring as far, at least, as Virginia. 



FAMILY XVII. CORVID^. THE CROWS AND JAYS. 



Upper mandible, more or less curved and usually notched. Lower mandible, not swollen at base. Nostrils, almost al- 

 ways covered with projectinr/ bristles. Coracoids, shorter than lop oj" keel which i'' moderatrly hi(jh,liut not e.rreedinrj in 

 heiijht one third the lenijth of the coracoids. Mart/inal indentations not exceediny in depth the heiyht of the keel. Primaries, 

 ten. 



This Family is largely represented in the Old Word as well as in the New. There is an apparent resemblance to some 

 members of the preceding Family, but the bristly feathers of the bill, ten primaries, and the peculiar form of the sternum 

 will serve to distinguish them. The coeca are very well developed , and the stomach is usually quite muscular. The fe- 

 males do not dill'er from the males, or at least in our native species. 



GENUS I. CORVUS. TUE CROWS. 



Gen. On. Bill, stout, almut as lonyas the head. Upper mandible, cun>ed. Winys, much lonycr than the tail which is 

 rounded. Sternum, roell proportioned witli the expanded, termination of thefurcula short. Muryinal indentations, very 

 sliallow. Size, tarye. 



The prevailing colors are black. The live pairs of laryngeal muscles of this genus are particularly distinct and will 

 s.orve to illustrate this character as given under Section I, Oscines. (SjeplateVI. Nos., l,2,3,and l,iifwhich explanations 

 are given at the end of this section.) 



CORVUS CARNIVOtJS. 

 American Raven. 



Corvus carnivims Kartram, Travels in E. Fla; 17!)!). "390. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Feet, stout. Tongue, somewhat fleshy, but thin and horny at tip, which is bi- 

 fid, and provided with a terminal cilia which extends along the sides, black in color. Sternum, stout. Feathers of neck 

 i.ad throat, lance-shaped. 



Color. Adult mate. Lustrous black throughout, with purplish rellectioas which arc more noticeable on the back, 

 neck, and breast. Dill and feet, black. 



Young of the year. Quite similar to the adult but coasiderably duller. The bill is brownish and the soles of the feet, 

 ligliter. 



Ncstlinys, Uniform dull brownish-black beneath. Head above, darker. The wings and tail arc lustrous with purplish 

 relief tivins, as in the above for the feathei-s art! n(]t moulted. Bill and feet, brown. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is little or no variation excepting in size, which depends greatly upon tlie locality. Winter birds arc brighter in 

 color. Readily Unown by the superior ,«ize, and lancc-shapcd feathers on the neck. Distributed as a constant r(>;idcnt 

 ihroughiiut Easurn North America north of Massachusetts and everywhere west of the Mississipjii River. Rare in the 

 Alleghany Mountains and on the coast of New .Jersey. 



liUtDS OF ILOKIIIA. i^O - 



