192 A- Ï-- ^- Manniche. 



in flocks — counting more than 10 birds — at large carcasses, and 

 once near a severely wounded bear. With never failing certainty 

 they will discover where food can be obtained. In the autumn of 

 1907 I stayed for a long while in the surroundings of Hvalrosodden. 

 I moved every day for miles around in tlie country and observed 

 only now and then a solitary wandering Raven until one evening 

 — at the end of my stay — an old Musk-Ox bull was shot; the 

 hide and entrails remained on the spot. Already the next morning 

 early no less than 10 Ravens had found the carcass, at which I 

 observed them on the best terms with 3 Polar Foxes. 



The Lemmings absolutely form the principal food of the Ravens 

 in N. E. Greenland; they were almost exclusively to be seen inland 

 lemming hunting in the year 1906, when Lemmings were abundant. 

 This year I found in every stomach examined remnants of Lemmings 

 and almost nothing else. One single stomach of Raven contained 

 remnants of a half-grown Pagonetta glacialis. 



The Ravens catch the Lemmings either by sitting waiting before 

 the entrance of their holes or by flying scouring rocky slopes or 

 valleys. I have observed Ravens using both methods with success. 



[Under the heading Falco gyrfalco I have mentioned the quarrels 

 between these birds and the Raven.] 



In the spring and summer 1907 the number of Lemmings was 

 surprisingly reduced at the places, which I especially visited; the 

 Ravens would under these circumstances mainly stay along the shores 

 and on the ice in the firths. This year I often observed Ravens — 

 in company with Laras glaucus and Canis lagopiis — parasitic on 

 the hunting Polar Rears. When the bear had killed a seal, the 

 parasites would exhibit a surprising impudence and seemed by no 

 means to fear the right owner of the prey, in the close proximity 

 of which they took their places in order to get some of the blood, 

 which had flowed out or what else they could procure from the 

 meal of the bear. 



Once I observed two Ravens sitting on the ice eating fresh 

 excrements of a bear, which contained badly digested remnants of 

 Phoca foetida. The Ravens appeared frequently at the breeding- 

 places of Sterna macrura, but they were violently attacked and 

 persecuted by the angry flocks of Terns. 



I caught a few Ravens — always young birds — in fox-traps 

 placed at the depots of meat of the expedition. 



I have never observed Ravens attacking Alpine Hares, but it 

 can hardly be doubted, that Ravens are dangerous enemies to quite 

 young Hares. 



Large steep rocks are the real territory for Ravens; from here 



