424 CORVUS 



Hob. The whole of Europe ; Northern and Central Asia, 

 south to the Punjab, and Tibet ; North America south to 

 Mexico. 



As a rule it is extremely wary and cautious, though where 

 it is not molested it is comparatively tame. It affects rocky 

 localities and open country in preference to the woodland. 

 Its flight is bold and strong and in the spring it may be 

 seen performing aerial evolutions. Like its congeners it is 

 omnivorous, but feeds chiefly on carrion, fish thrown up on 

 the shores, small mammals, grubs, worms, and even grain, 

 when more suitable food is absent. Its note is a deep hoarse 

 croak, which in the spring is often modulated into a gulping 

 and more musical sound ; it is also an excellent mimic. It 

 breeds early in the year, placing its nest, which is bulky and 

 constructed of sticks, roots, &c., lined with wool, down, or any 

 soft material, on a tree or rock, and in February or March 

 deposits 4 to 6, sometimes even 8 eggs, which are pale greenish 

 blue or dull olive-greenish marked with faint blackish shell- 

 markings, and blackish or blackish brown surface-blotches, 

 which are generally scattered over the surface of the shell ; in 

 size they average about 1*82 by 1*30, but they vary a good deal 

 both in size and markings. Taczanowski recognises several 

 subspecies of the Raven (F.O.Sib.O. pp. 526-529) : viz. Corv-us- 

 corax sibiricus from Eastern Siberia, C. c. ussurianus from 

 Manchuria, G. c. kamtschaticus from Kamchatka, and C. c. 

 behringiamcs from the Commander Islands, but I prefer to 

 unite all these with 0. corax. 



605. BROWN-NECKED RAVEN. 

 CORVUS UMBRINUS. 



Corvus umbrinus, Sundevall, K. Vet. Ak. Handl. 1838, p. 199 (ex- 

 Hedenborg, MS.) ; Shelley, B. of Egypt, p. 158 ; Dresser, iv. 

 p. 577, pi. 262, fig. 1, 265, fig. 2 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iii. 

 p. 17 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 15. 



Ghurdb el nohi, Arabic. 



ad. (Egypt). Head and neck glossy dark umber-brown ; feathers on 

 the neck white at the base ; upper and under parts deep black, glossed 

 with steely or violet blue, the under parts with a few dark umber-brown 

 feathers ; bill and legs black, the latter with a brownish tinge ; iris dark 

 brown. Culmen 2'9, wing 15'5, tail 8'6, tarsus 2*9, middle toe 2'2 inch. 

 Sexes alike. 



