132 Bird-Nesting 



regions. In Iceland the raven lives to an old age, and returns 

 for many successive years to the same cliff to breed. The Ice- 

 land birds are large and powerful, and the eggs average larger 

 than those from the British Islands and other countries 

 further south. The number of eggs is four or five, and they 

 vary as much as the eggs of the common crow do. In a 

 series of forty eggs before me, four average specimens meas- 

 ure 2.15x1.32, 2.10x1.40, 2.08x1.39, and 2.05x1.37. These eggs 

 are from Iceland, and the eggs from this country are always 

 larger than those collected in North America. A clutch of 

 four eggs of the raven, taken in South Spain, March 22nd, 

 1890, only average in size 1.85x1.27, and this is the average 

 size of the eggs collected in the British Islands and in North 

 America. The colour of the raven's eggs varies from light 

 bluish green to olive green. They are spotted, blotched, and 

 streaked with purple and greenish brown, some specimens 

 being so dens'ely marked as to almost conceal the ground colour. 

 Ravens abound in the fur countries, and visit the remotest 

 islands of the polar seas. They frequent the barren grounds, 

 even in the most intense winter colds, their movements being 

 chiefly directed by those of the herds of reindeer, musk oxen 

 and bison, which they follow, 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 they are seen coming from 

 various quarters to feast on the offal ; considerable numbers 

 constantly attend the fishing stations, where they show equal 

 boldness and rapacit}^. The experienced Indian, when he sees 

 from afar a flock of ravens wheeling in small circles, knows 

 that a party of his countrymen, well provided with venison, 

 are encamped on the spot, or that a band of wolves is preying 

 on the carcase of some of the larger quadrupeds. Ravens 

 sometimes attack living animals, and are destructive to lambs, 

 for they pick out their eyes. They are fond of shell fish, and 

 break them by dropping them on the rocks while circling 

 above. When they are paired, they live together for the whole 

 period of their lives. In North America and the British 

 islands they nest in March, but in Iceland and Greenland they 

 seldom have eggs before May. 



