CROWS, JAYS, ETC. 257 



in having long, pointed, instead of the usual short, rounded feathers on the 

 throat. 



Range. Northern North America from Greenland to Alaska, south on 

 the Pacific' coast to British Columbia, and on the Atlantic coast to North 

 Carolina ; of local distribution in the eastern United States. 



Nest, compact and symmetrical, of sticks lined with grasses, wool, etc., add- 

 ed from year to year, in trees or on clift's. " Eggs, two to seven, pale bluish 

 green, pale olive, or olive spotted or dashed (or both) with olive-brown (some- 

 times nearly uniform olive from density of markings), 2*02 x 1-38" (Ridgw.). 



" The usual note of the Raven is a hoarse, rolling cr-r-r-cruck, but 

 he has other cries. . . . 



" Despite their difference in size and habits, I must confess that I 

 often had difficulty in distinguishing Ravens from Crows. Every one 

 must have noticed how the apparent size of a Crow will vary under 

 different conditions of the atmosphere ; it is the same with the Raven. 

 At times he looks as big as an Eagle ; at others scarcely larger than a 

 Fish Crow. But when actually in company with Crows he can not 

 be possibly mistaken, for he then appears, as he is, nearly double the 

 size of any of them. His flight did not seem to me as characteristic 

 as it has been described. True, he sails more than does the Crow, and 

 there is something peculiar in his wing strokes, but the difference is 

 not always appreciable unless there is an opportunity for direct com- 

 parison " (Brewster, Birds Observed on Gulf of St. Lawrence. Proc. 

 Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xxii, 1883, p. 378). 



488. Corvus americanus Aud. AMERICAN CROW. (See Fig. 44, b.) 

 Ad. Entire plumage black, with steel-blue or deep purplish reflections ; the 

 under parts duller than the upper parts ; feathers on the neck normal, short, 

 and rounded. L., 19-30 ; W., 12-18 ; T., 7'52 ; B., 2-00. 



Range. " North America from the fur countries to Mexico " ; winters from 

 the northern United States southward. 



Washington, abundant P. K. Sing Sing, common P. R. Cambridge, 

 abundant P. R. 



Nest, bulky, of sticks lined with strips of grapevine bark, grasses, moss, 

 etc., in trees, generally about thirty feet up. Eggs, four to six, generally blu- 

 ish green, thickly marked with shades .of brown, but sometimes light blue or 

 even white with almost no markings, 1-65 x 1-19. 



Throughout his wide range the size, color, voice, habits, and abun- 

 dance of the Crow combine to make him the most conspicuous and 

 consequently the best known of our birds. But in spite of his great 

 circle of acquaintances he has few friends. An unfortunate fondness 

 for corn has placed him under the ban of the agriculturist ; there is a 

 price on his head ; every man's hand is against him. 



Apparently he does not mind this in the least ; in fact, he seems 

 to rejoice in being an outlaw. As for fear, I doubt if he knows what 

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