THE BIRDS OF WASHINGTON 



No. I. 



NORTHERN RAVEN. 



A. O. U. No. 486a. Corviis corax principalis Ridgw. 



Sjnonym. — Formerly called the American Raven. 



Description. — Color uniform lustrous black; plumage, especially on breast, 

 scapulars and back, showing steel-blue or purplish iridescence; feathers of the 

 throat long, narrow, pointed, light gray basally; primaries whitening at base. 

 Length two feet or over, female a little smaller; wing 17.00-18.00 (438); tail 

 10.00 (247); bill 3.20 (70.^); depth (if bill at nostril i.oo (28.5): tarsus 2.68 

 (68). 



Recognition Marks. — Large size, — about twice as big as a Crow ; long 

 rounded tail; harsh croaking notes; uniform black coloration. Indistinguishable 

 afield from siniiatits. 



Nesting. — N^est: a large but compact mass of sticks, lined with grass, wool, 

 cow-hair, etc., placed high in fir trees or upon inaccessible cliffs. Eggs: 4-7 (8 

 of record), usually 5, pale bluish green or olive, spotted, blotched, and dashed 

 with greenish brown and obscure lilac or purple. Av. size, ixyo x 1.33 (48.26 x 

 33.78). Season: .\])ril 15; one brood. 



General Range. — "Arctic and Boreal Provinces of North America ; south 

 to Eastern British Provinces, portions of New England, and Atlantic Coast of 

 United States, higher Alleghenies, region of the Great I^akes, western and 

 nurthcrn Washington, etc." (Ridgway). * 



Range in Washington. — Found sparingly in the Cascade and Olympic 

 Mountain>, nirire commonly along the Pacific Coast. 



Migrations. — Resident but wide ranging. 



Authorities. — [Lewis and Clark, Hist. Hx. (1814), Ed Biddle: Coues, \^ol. 

 II. |i. i8^. I Corvus caniivorus P)artram. Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, 

 pp. 361 . 562. 563. (T). C&S. L'. D- ( ?). B. E. 



Specimens. — (U. of. W.) Prov. C. 



