RAVEN. 69 



son says of the Raven, " This well-known bird abounds in 

 the fur-countries of North America, and visits the remotest 

 islands of the Polar Seas. It frequents the barren grounds 

 even in the most intense winter colds, its movements being 

 directed in a great measure by those of the herds of rein- 

 deer, musk-oxen, and bisons, which it follows, ready to 

 assist in devouring such as are killed by beasts of prey, or 

 by accident. No sooner has a hunter slaughtered an 

 animal, than these birds are seen coming from various 

 quarters to feast on the offal ; and considerable numbers 

 constantly attend the fishing stations, where they show 

 equal boldness and rapacity." 



In the United States, Mr. Audubon says, " The Raven 

 is in some degree a migratory bird, individuals retiring to 

 the extreme south during severe winters, but returning to- 

 wards the middle, the western, and northern districts at 

 the first indication of milder weather. A few are known 

 to breed in the mountainous portions of South Carolina, 

 but instances of this kind are rare, and are occasioned 

 merely from the security afforded by inaccessible preci- 

 pices, in which they may rear their young.'* 



Our Raven was formerly considered to be an inhabitant 

 of the southern hemisphere, and may exist in some locali- 

 ties ; but the Raven of Mexico and the equatorial part of 

 the South- American continent is a distinct bird, larger than 

 our Raven, with a long and wedge-shaped tail. The Raven 

 of South Africa is also distinct from the European bird, is 

 smaller in size, with a more brilliant metallic lustre on its 

 plumage, and has been named in consequence Corvus splen- 

 dens. The Museum of the Zoological Society contains 

 examples of both these species. 



The beak of our Raven is strong and black ; the feathers 

 covering the nostrils one inch and a half long, nearly half 

 the length of the beak ; the irides brown and grey : the 



