"^"/gg^^J General Notes. 55 



It gives me pleasure to add this new species to tiie list of biids of Min- 

 nesota. — Albert Lano, Aitl-i/t, Alinn. 



The Northern Raven breeding in New England. — During a trip to 

 the outer islands of Penobscot Bay, Maine, I found on June 15, 1S97, a 

 brood of three j'oung Ravens (^Corvus corax princi-palis), fully fledged 

 and grown, in the possession of two fisherman's boys. They were taken 

 from a nest in a spruce tree on a small uninhabited island about the 

 middle of May, being at tiiat time about ready to fly. One of the old 

 birds was seen hovering at a safe distance. In captivity they each had a 

 wing clipped, and remained at large about the house, though one, wilder 

 than the others, escaped several times to the woods. 



One of the boys conducted me to the nest. It was about twenty feet 

 from the ground, two-thirds way up the tree, in a crotch close to the 

 trunk, and was a great accumulation of gnarled, crooked sticks, some of 

 the largest at the bottom being as thick as a man's thumb. Some two 

 feet across on top, its size was about that of the nest of the Red-tailed 

 Hawk. It Avas deeplv hollowed, profusely lined with grass and especially 

 sheep's wool, and emitted a strong, disagreeable odor. On the branches 

 below were caught numerous sticks, which evidently the birds had 

 dropped. A few days later I examined a nest of the Common Crow on a 

 neighboring island from which the young had recently left. It was 

 almost exactly like the Raven's nest, except that smaller sticks were used, 

 wool was entirely absent, and the strong odor was lacking. 



I purchased the young, and took them home with me alive. Two of 

 them are still (September 10) in health ; the other died August 5 from 

 «ome bowel trouble. Moulting was first noticed about July 20, when 

 blue-black feathers began to appear in the dull brownish under parts. 

 They are still moulting, the head being the part most affected. 



Their habits in captivity are not unlike those of the Common Crow, 

 ■especially in reference to their hiding of objects. But they manifest 

 more decided carnivorous tastes, preferring flesh to evervthing else, and 

 tearing up bodies of birds or mammals like veritable hawks. A live 

 voung Marsh Hawk incarcerated with them in their roomy cage was next 

 day killed and entirely devoured, save the leg bones and quills. They 

 afe very noisy when hungry, and their harsh croaking is audible at a con- 

 siderable distance. — Herbert K. Job, North Middleboro, Mass. 



The Stariing (^Sturnus vulg-art's') on Long Island. — The European 

 Starling seems to have successfullv established itself on Long Island. 

 In the summer of 1S96 I was informed that this bird was nesting in the 

 tower of the Boys' High School Building at Marcy and Putnam Avenues, 

 Brooklyn. Of the accuracy of this report I was unable at the time to 

 acquaint myself personally. Lately, however, the Starlings may be seen 

 perched on, and flying about this tower at almost any time. It is appar- 



