CORVDS GARNI VORUS. 51 3 



its way silently, or with an occasional hoarse croak, from the mountains 

 on one side the desert to the range opposite. It is also plentiful in tlie 

 most fertile sections. We did not see it in the Sacramento Valley, where 

 the Common Crow (C. americanus) was so abundant — the two species being, 

 in fact, nowhere found together in equal abundance; but it became numer- 

 ous immediately after we had crossed the Sierra Nevada, while the Crow 

 disappeared almost entirely. In those portions where the Raven was the 

 predominant species, as in western Nevada, we found that it went by the 

 popular name of "Crow," while the more rare C. americanus was distin- 

 guished as the ''Tom Crow!" At the Truckee Meadows the Ravens were 

 very abundant in November, but were so shy as to be with difficulty ap- 

 proached within gunshot. At the latter locality we once observed an assem- 

 bly of them annoying a Rough-legged Hawk (Archibufeo sancti-johannis) 

 which had alighted on a fence-post; but the hawk did not appear to mind 

 them much, and did not fly until we approached, when he took to flight, 

 and was followed by the Ravens until almost out of sight. At Carson City 

 they were very numerous in winter at the slaughter-house, just outside the 

 town, where they congregated with the Magpies to feed upon the offal; they 

 were then very tame and easily killed. The true home, howe\er, of the 

 Ravens appeared to be in the desert mountains, where their eyries were 

 often seen among the high volcanic rocks, out of reach of an ordinary 

 climber. In the appearance, manners, and voice of the Raven there is such 

 a general resemblance to the Common Crow that after long familiarity 

 with the latter the peculiarities of the former are forgotten. This, probably, 

 accounts for the inappropriateness, or incorrectness, of the western nomen- 

 clature of these two birds, for when the two are seen together, which not 

 often happens, the "Tom Crow" appears dwarfed in size, or not as large as a 

 crow should be. The notes, also, are quite similar in their character (far 

 more so than those of the Fish Crow, C. ossifragus, and the common species), 

 but they are considerably hoarser and less vehement. The most conspicuous 

 diff"erence is in their manner of flight, the Crow flapping its wings continu- 

 ally, and seldom if ever sailing with outstretched, motionless pinions, while 

 the Raven almost constantly soars in the buoyant and well-sustained man- 

 ner of certain Baptores, a flapping flight being the very rare exception. 

 33 PR 



