BIRDS. 



167 



Both the Eskimo and ludians unite in accusing this bird of pecking out the eyes of new- 

 born reindeer and afterwards killing them, and they are notoriously mischievous in robbing 

 traps of bait, as is well known throughout the fur countries, though the thief frequently pays the 

 penalty by getting a foot in the trap. 



Although the common ciow I^C. americanus) has not been taken within the limits of the Terri- 

 tory, yet its known occurrence as far north as the Lower Anderson River, within the Arctic Circle, 

 would appear to render it highly probable that they will be found on the Upper Yukon when more 

 careful explorations have been made. While wintering at Cumberland Gulf, on the west coast of 

 Davis Strait, Kumlieii found the ravens resident, and notes the fact that the Greenland birds are 

 much smaller than those from the mainland. He credits the raven with plucking out the eyes of 

 the reindeer and killing it, and also of capturing young seals. In this latter opei-ation great intelli- 

 gence is shown. As an instance he observed that one bird dropped directly into the seal's hole 

 through the ice, thus barring its only means of escape; then the second bird attacked the heljiless 

 victim and brained it on the spot. Another pair he observed giving chase and capturing the 

 northern hare after a long jmrsuit. They were in the habit of keeping about the camps and were 

 seen even after dark and on moonlight nights when food was scarce. The last English Arctic 

 expedition found ravens north to latitude 81° 44', which Captain Feilden thinks is their northern 

 limit. 



The eggs obtained in Alaska are light green, with a variable amount of dark brown spotting. 

 These spots are usually scattered uniformly over the shell, but they vary greatly iu size from small 

 rounded points to large irregular blotches. Six of these eggs from the Lower Yukon measured as 

 follows: 2 by 1.41; 1.9S by 1.42; 2 by 1.43; 1.92 by 1.43; 1.92 by 1.3S; and 1.90 by 1.38. 



COEVUS COEAX SIXUATUS. 



D 3 



_ <= 



go 



86843 

 18C13 



18870 

 29453* 

 )8831 



Localitv. 



4563 1; 



41126 



6857 

 83910 



5186 

 83911 

 68962 

 54168 



336?3 

 204S6 



Greenland 



do 



Labrador 



New Brunswick 



Lower Canada 



An example from the Arakmachichi Isl- 

 ands in Bering Sea on tbo east coast of 

 Siberia is dull-colored like European 

 specimens 



California 



Upper Yukon, Alaska 



do 



do 



Saint Michaels, Alaska 



Vancouver Island 



Utah 



16.70 

 16.90 

 16.85 

 10.00 

 17.05 



10.10 

 9.90 

 9.30 

 9.80 



10.33 



2.40 

 2.50 

 2. 55 

 2.01 

 2. OG 



Nevada 



Missouri Kiver . 



Nevada 



Tebuantepec .-. 



do 



Vera Cruz 



Guatemala 



do 



Germany 



Europe 



do 



Syria 



Jerusalem 



2.90 

 2.95 

 2.80 

 2.90 

 2.90 



2.00 

 2.28 

 2.75 

 2.70 

 2.85 

 2.95 

 3.00 

 2.51 

 2.78 

 2.70 

 2.69 

 2.88 

 2.80 

 2.66 

 2.80 

 2.66 

 2.84 

 2.60 

 2.80 

 3.00 

 2 61 



Z I 



.99 

 .99 



1.04 



.99 ' 



1.15 

 1.04 

 1.11 

 1.17 

 1.17 



* This specimen is like the European birds in color and proportions, with even a heavier bill than that 



of the Syrian specimen, 

 t An adult bird, but with a remarkably small bill and very slender feet and legs. 



The foregoing measurements of the ravens iu the National Museum collection were made 

 under the impression that sufficient variation could be found to separate the Old and New 

 World birds into well-marked races. 



As the measurements show, however, specimens from various widely-separated North Americau 

 localities have as large an amount of variation as can be found between American and Old World 



