THE RAVEN. 



CORVUS CORAX 



i. Corvus corax corax L. THE RAVEN. 



CORVUS CORAX Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 105 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



G^rvus corax Linnaeus, Yarrell, ir, p. 259 ; Saunders, p. 241. 



A. Raven (Corvus c. corax). B. Carrion-Crow (C. c. corone). 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and female. Winter. Whole plumage 

 black ; nasal and rictal bristles glossy-black ; crown glossed 

 greenish or purplish ; back of neck and ear-coverts greenish-black ; 

 mantle, scapulars, back and upper tail-coverts glossed blue or 

 slightly reddish-purple ; chin glossed green ; throat and upper- 

 breast usually more reddish-purple (feathers of throat long, 

 narrow, and lance-shaped) ; rest of under-parts glossed green or 

 blue-purple ; axillaries and under wing-coverts brown-black, 

 glossed blue and reddish-purple ; tail glossed green and reddish- 

 purple ; outer primaries, primary-coverts, and bastard-wing glossed 

 green, inner primaries more bluish ; secondaries and all wing- 

 coverts glossed reddish-purple ; under-down and feather-bases 

 brownish-white like Rook. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult from August to October. Summer. No moult. Abrasion 

 makes whole bird less glossy and wings and tail especially become 

 browner. 



Nestling. Down, mouse-brown, plentiful ; distribution, occi- 

 pital, humeral, spinal, femoral, ventral (description from skin). 



Juvenile. Upper-parts brown-black with little gloss compared 

 to adult ; under-parts brown with some greenish gloss on chin but 

 with scarcely any on rest of under-parts ; tail, wings, and wing- 

 coverts much as in adult but not so brightly glossed. 



