COliVlU.E — THE CKUW.S. 



235 



Sp. Chau. Foiiitli (luiU longest; tl.'j-d ami (iftli .aliout uqiial ; souoiul In-lwcfn lil'ili 

 mid sixth; lirst neaily fiiual In llic eigliili. Lcii^lli, about 24. CO or 'iu.OO; extent, oO.OO 

 to ")l.(tO: wintr, alioul IT.dO; tail, lll.dO. Tail nio(l<'nit''iy graduated; the outer t'ealhor 

 aliout l.fiO to li.4() inches less than the middle. Entirely glos.^y blaek, with liinnished 

 violet rellectious. 



II.Mi. Entire continent of North America. Rare east of the Mississippi. South to 

 Guatemala. 



Tlioiioli easily (listinguishable from the European Lird, tlie American Raven 

 is so nearly related to it a.s tu be beyond doubt rel'erriUe to it as a variety. 

 The dill'erenee.s presentetl in a very large scries of buth forms are, however. 

 very eonstiint and tangible. In the American liird the l)ill is always longer 

 and less deep, and the plumage is more highly burnished, while the wings, 

 especially the secondaries, are perceptibly uf ii more reddish violet than 

 the other jiortions. Tliough in an immense series of American specimens 

 many differences of form and size are noted, yet there is nothing stilliciently 

 charat;! eristic of any jjartindar region to indicate nujre than one variet}'. 

 As a rule, however, spe- 

 cimens from the high 

 north e.\ceed in size 

 those from elsewhere, 

 and have the bill more 

 robust, though not so 

 short as in the Eiu'opeau 

 bird ; while those from 

 the Middle Province and 

 Mexico (o (luatemala 

 (= "cuca/of/," Baird et 

 Auct.) have the jilumage 

 more brilliant than otli- 

 ers, and IVetjuently the 

 bill very narrow. 



ll.MUTs. Assuming 

 thtit we must consider 

 its but one species the 

 two dilVering forms of 

 Haven f(aind in \orth America, we find this bird more or less common 

 througl 't nearly the whole continent. Tt is muidi more aluiiulant in some 

 regions than in others, and, as a general rule, is much more common and 

 also more genendly di.stiibitted in the western imrtion, where also its habits 

 are remarkably dill'erent from the n<anners of its eastern rejiresL'iitative. 



It seems to lie more or less common throughout the Arctic regions. 

 Mr. Keiniieott met with Ravens at Liike Wimiipeg. Mr. MacFarlane found 

 them id)undiint at Lockhart liiver, at Fort Anilerson, and on the Eower 

 Anderson liiver. Mr. lioss obt .ined them at Forf Simjison, Mr. K'eid at 



Cory»s mrnii'oitt\. 



