1 54 AMERICAN RA VEN. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of fifteen male specimens from North America. Length, 23'20; stretch, 50'50; wing, 16-50; tail, 

 9-90; bill, 250; tarsus, 2'48. Longest specimen, 25-00; greatest extent of win;;, 56-00; longest wing, 17-50; tail, UH)5; bill, 

 2-78; tarsus, 2-66. Shortest specimen, 21-40; smallest extent of wing, 46-00; shortest wing, 15-50; tail, 9-06; bill, 2-40; 

 tarsus, 2-35. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees or on cliffs. They are bulky, compact structures composed of sticks, lined with coarse grass 

 and sea-weed. Dimensions; (approximate) external diameter, 36-00, internal, IS'OO. External depth, 18-00, internal, 6'00. 



Eygs, from four to five in number, dark-green in color, spotted and blotched with grayish and black. Dimensions from 

 1-70x1-35 to l-MOxl-45. 



HABITS. 



When the thick, white fog hangs like a pall over the Magdalen Islands quite obscur- 

 ing the surrounding water and causing the steep, conical, grass-covered hills near at hand, 

 to look like dim, greenish clouds suspended in mid air; when nothing is to be heard save 

 the monotonous, never-ceasing sound of waves beating at the base of the higk cliffs, and 

 the east wind coming fresh from the ice-bergs which float in the mighty ocean not far 

 away, is as chilly as a breath from the tomb; when all objects appear so distorted and un- 

 real in the misty light, that one seems transported to another world; then a harsh croak is 

 heard sounding out with such sudden distinctness as to be startling. 



One who is unaccustomed to the locality gazes about in amazement for there is not 

 a living thing in sight, and the cry was so weird and coincided so perfectly with the gloomy 

 surroundings as to suggest that it was of supernatural origin. Again the uncouth note is 

 repeated, but nearer, harsher and more real, and then the eye guided by the sound, sees 

 a black shape gliding through the mist. Then another appears and still another, followed 

 by half a dozen more, while the air is filled with dismal croakings. One can by this time 

 discern that the mysterious sounds are produced by Ravens which are returning from a 

 predatory excursion to some neighboring island, for these black pirates take advantage of 

 the obscuring fog in order to rob the nests of various sea-birds which breed near. 



The Ravens subsist largely by pillage, at least during summer, eating the eggs and 

 destroying the young of other birds. They also attack small lambs, picking out their eyes, 

 thus causing their death, and they will sometimes kill large sea-birds. Dr. E. L. Sturte- 

 vant informed me that he was at one time standing on a beach at Grand Menan, when ho 

 saw a Gannet soaring very high in air with, what appeared to be, a black spot above and 

 below it. The bird seemed distressed and continued to mount upwards until both dark 

 spots were seen to be above it, when suddenly it fell from that immense height, struck 

 the ground, and was actually dashed to pieces by the force of the shock. Dr. Sturtevant 

 approached it, when a Raven sprang from the body and flew away. These birds also eat 

 fish or any other dead animals thrown up by the waves. 



The Ravens prefer the bleak, wind-swept islands along the coast and build their nests 

 on the rocky shelves of high cliffs. They always choose the most inaccessible situations 

 that are available, often placing their bulky domiciles in a niche which is so small that it 

 can hardly contain it. The newly hatched young must be very tenacious of life, or the 



