66 CORVID.E. 



The beak of our Raven is strong and black ; the fea- 

 thers covering the nostrils one inch and a half long, nearly 

 half the length of the beak ; the irides brown and grey : 

 the whole plumage black glossed with steel-blue, and 

 purple ; the feathers on the throat elongated and pointed, 

 and exhibiting more metallic lustre than those of other 

 parts. Legs, toes, and claws, shining black ; the legs and 

 toes strong ; the claws considerably curved. 



The whole length of a male bird twenty-six inches. 

 The wing from the carpal joint to the end, seventeen inches 

 and one quarter : the first feather four inches shorter than 

 the second ; the second one inch shorter than the third ; 

 the fourth a little longer than the third, and the longest in 

 the wing : the primaries are narrow and pointed, the ter- 

 tials broad and rounded. The tail in form rather more 

 than rounded, or slightly angular, the pair of feathers in 

 the middle being the longest. 



The female is smaller than the male ; and her plumage, 

 as also that of young birds before their first moult, has 

 less metallic lustre. 



Mr. Macgillivray in his volumes on British Birds, men- 

 tions that he " once saw a Eaven in Harris, one of the 

 outer Hebrides, that was patched with white. Another 

 entirely white, was credibly reported to him to have been 

 seen in the Island of Pabbay." The first of these was 

 considered to be identical with the Pied Eaven of the 

 Faroe Islands, the Corvus leucophceus of authors, but it is 

 considered doubtful whether this Pied Eaven is entitled 

 to rank as a species. According to ancient authors, 

 Eavens were formerly white, but were changed to black 

 for babbling. Mr. John Barrow in his ' Visit to Iceland, 1 

 says, " This bird was dedicated to Odin, who, as the tra- 

 ditional history of Iceland informs us, had two Eavens, 



