RAVEN. 65 



daily, and his crippled state exciting commiseration, he 

 seldom failed to obtain something in the way of food. Dr. 

 Richardson says of the Raven, " This well-known bird 

 abounds in the flir-countries of North America, and visits 

 the remotest islands of the Polar Seas. It frequents the 

 barren grounds even in the most intense winter colds, its 

 movements being directed in a great measure by those of 

 the herds of rein-deer, musk-oxen, and bisons, which it 

 follows, ready to assist in devouring such as are killed by 

 beasts of prey, or by accident. No sooner has a hunter 

 slaughtered an animal, than these birds are seen coming 

 from various quarters to feast on the offal ; and consi- 

 derable numbers constantly attend the fishing stations, 

 where they show equal boldness and rapacity." 



In the United States, Mr. Audubon says, tc The Raven 

 is in some degree a migratory bird, individuals retiring to 

 the extreme south during severe winters, but returning to- 

 wards the middle, the western, and northern districts at 

 the first indication of milder weather. A few are known 

 to breed in the mountainous portions of South Carolina, 

 but instances of this kind are rare, and are occasioned 

 merely by the security afforded by inaccessible precipices, 

 in which they may rear their young. 



Our Raven was formerly considered to be an inhabitant 

 of the southern hemisphere, and may exist in some lo- 

 calities ; but the Raven of Mexico and the equatorial part 

 of the South American continent is a distinct bird larger 

 than our Raven, with a long and wedge-shaped tail. The 

 Raven of South Africa is also distinct from the European 

 bird, is smaller in size, with a more brilliant metallic lustre 

 on its plumage, and has been named in consequence Corvus 

 splendens. The Museum of the Zoological Society contains 

 examples of both these species. 



VOL. II. F 



