78 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



from Cape Chidly to Niautilic. According to the Eskimo they are more 

 common than nivalis from Nugumeute southward and in the interior. 

 There appears to be quite a marked difference in specimens from Green- 

 land and from Alaska, and a comparison of a large series may give some 

 interesting results. The Eskimo say they will eat blubber and meat if 

 their food gets covered by snow. I have seen a specimen that was so 

 covered with some oily substance that the feathers on the breast and 

 belly were matted together. I am told by Nugumeute Eskimo that in 

 summer the males " akapok amasuit" (talk a great deal). From this I 

 infer that they are probably lively songsters during the breeding season. 



16. Junco lay emails, (L.) Scl. 



Once obtained on shipboard off Belle Isle, October, 1878. 



17. Scolocophagus ferruginous, (Gm.) Sw. 



Caught on shipboard during a gale off the north coast of Newfound- 

 land, October, 1878. 



18. Corvus corax, Linnd. 



"Tudliiak," Cumberland Eskimo. "Kernetook," Greenlanders ; but also called 

 "Tulluak." 



The raven is extraordinarily common on both shores of Cumberland 

 and on the eastern shore of the Penny Peninsula. In winter they con- 

 gregate about the Eskimo encampments, where they can almost always 

 get dead dog, if nothing more. All the specimens collected by me in 

 Cumberland are of remarkable size, much larger than any I ever saw on 

 the Greenland coast. The same was remarked by Governor Feiicker, of 

 Godhavn, who said he never could see any reason why the American 

 raven should be called a variety of the European till he saw my speci- 

 mens from the western coast of Davis Straits. 



When the raven gets closely pressed by hunger, he will attack almost 

 anything but man. Young reindeer fall an easy prey to them. When 

 they attack a young deer, there are generally six or seven in company, 

 and about one-half the number act as relays, so that the deer is given 

 no rest. The eyes are the first parts attacked, and are generally speed- 

 ily plucked out, when the poor animal will thrash and flounder about 

 till it kills itself. In the capture of the young of Pagomys fcetidus they 

 evince a considerable degree of intelligence. I have, on different occa- 

 sions, witnessed them capture a young seal that lay basking in the sun 

 near its hole. The first manoeuvre of the ravens was to sail leisurely 

 over the seal, gradually lowering with each circle, till at last one of them 



