VOL. XIII, 

 1890. 



] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 567 



apiece between myself and the fire some C feet away; this also was 

 taken. Finally I stuck a piece on the end of the pot stick, which is a 

 stout stick propped up so that it atfords support to a kettle over the 

 fire; and although by so doing the bird had to fly down within 6 inches 

 of a hot clear fire, without hesitation it dashed in and secured the 

 prize. Long experience has taught it that a camp is a sure place for a 

 feast, and as soon as the ax is brought into play to prepare the fire- 

 wood it is usual to hear the responsiv^e " taij tay^^ of the Wiskachon ap- 

 proaching from some distant part of the timber. This call note of the 

 species is much like the ordinary cry of the Blue Jay, but it has several 

 others that are distinctively its own; this includes the melancholy sobs 

 and wails which, sounding so uncanny among the gloomy evergreens, 

 have surrounded the bird with an atmosphere of mythic interest. Ac- 

 cording to Archbishop Tache, Wesakedjau is the name of the coot and 

 of the fabulous being who takes part in all Indian legends. Almost the 

 only musical sound that 1 have heard it utter is a metallic " chucli chucl',^^ 

 not unlike that produced by the robin. The unmusical notes are so 

 numerous that one is almost safe to attribute to the Wiskachon any un- 

 accountable screams that may be heard within the presence of a spruce 

 woods. 



lu the winter of 1881-82 I saw oue of these birds at Burnside, about 12 miles from 

 Portage la Prairie, the only one I ever observed near there. In December, 1884, I 

 found them abundant in the Hiding Mountains, where they exhibited all the famil- 

 iarity usually attributed to them. 



In October, 1886, two or three frequented the woods on the bank of the Red River, 

 but those were all I ever saw in that neighborhood. 



Nearly all writers refer to the harsh notes of this bird, but omit to mention that it 

 has some remarkably pleasing ones also, much resembling those of the Black Cap Tit 

 but rather louder than it utters when traveling about in small parties, and also when 

 alone if it feels particularly pleased with itself. 



I can quite understand why trappers should dislike this bird, as it often does a lot 

 of mischief to the skin of any animal that it may find dead in a snare, by eating holes 

 in it ; but it is a great favorite of mine, and will always be welcome to my camp, in 

 spite of his petty pilfering of eatables. (Nash, in MSS.) 



161. Corvus corax principalis. Northern Raven. 



Tolerably common winter visitant; probably nesting in the northern 

 lands. Tolerably common winter resident along the boundary (Cones). 

 Winnipeg: Winter visitant; tolerably common (Hine). At Lake Win- 

 nipeg (Kennicott). Red River Valley: Resident, tolerably common 

 more seen in winter than in summer (Hunter). "And in the spruce 

 swamps were several ravens," October 9; near Scrub Oak Ridge, 

 Dauphin Lake, Plains of the Souris, July (Hind, 1858). Portage la 

 Prairie: Very scarce; permanent resident ; in February, 1882, 1 saw one 

 about 4 miles west of the city of Winnipeg, and on December 17, 1884, 

 I saw two in the Reding Mountains (Nash). Carberry: Noted only in 

 ■winter; Rat Portage, common in fall (Thompson). Not observed in 

 the Winnepegosis region, but frequent in the Western Plains (Ma- 

 coun). Qu'Appelle: Occasional (Guernsey). 



