326 



ZOOLOGY— BIKDS. 



under his eye Avitli the same unconcern as though they were, indeed, 

 wholly unconscious of his presence. 



CORVUS CRYPTOLEUCUS, Coucb. 



'Whitc-neckcd Croir. 



Corvm cryptoleucus, Couch, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, April, 1854, fiC (Taiiiaiilipns, 

 Mexico). — Bd., Hird.s N. A., 1858, 5G5. — Kknnekly, P. It. R. Rep., Whipple's 

 Koute, X, 185'J, 31 (Llano Estacado, Texas).— Bn., U. S. & Mex. Boniid. 

 Surv., ii, pt. ii, 1850, Birds, 20. — Coopek, Birds Cal., i, 1870, 284.— CouES, 

 Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 1G2.— Aiken, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Ilist., 1872, 

 20.'J (('olorado, base of luountaiiis). — Id., Am. Nat., ii, 1873, IG (CLeyeni)e, 

 Wjo.).— Hd., Buew., & RiDG., N. A. Birds, ii, 1874, 242.— Aiken, Aid. Nat., 

 vii, 187.'5, IG. — llENSHAW, Rcj). Oru. Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 

 122.— Coues, Birds Northwest, 1874, 20G. 



Mr. Aiken communicates the following : 



" It seems to me not a little singular that I should have been the first 

 to detect the presence of this bird in Colorado ; for it outnumbers all the 

 other Corvi in certain localities. It had previously been considered a bird 

 of the southeast, and was supposed to be confined mainly to the Staked 

 Plains of Texas ; but I now know it to be common along the eastern base of 

 the Rocky Mountains, throughout the entire extent of Colorado, and it even 

 winters as far north as Cheyenne. It has also been found at Tucson, Ariz., 

 by Captain Bendire, who includes it among the resident birds of that 

 locality, so that it has quite an extended range. I fii'st saw them in Octol^er, 

 1871, about twenty-five miles south of Cheyenne, on the line of the Denver 

 Pacific Railroad, where a large flock was hovering over the plain. In the 

 city of Denver, I have often seen them searching for food in the less 

 frequented streets, and about one hundred miles farther south, on the 

 Fontaine Qui Bouille, I have seen immense numbers. At the latter place, 

 a flock of probably one thousand individuals was resident during the 

 winter of 1871-72. Although so abundant in winter, very few are to 

 be seen in summer; the greater number either pa.ss to the northward or 



