THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 121 , 



Corvus corax var. carnworus Baibd, Bbewbe & Ridgwat, Hist. N. 



Amer. Birds, II, 1874, 233 (in part). Nbxson, Birds N. E'. 



Ilinois, Bull. Essex Inst., VIII, 1876, 112. 

 Oorvua corax sinuatus Ridgwat, Om. Illinois, I, 1889, 331 (in part). 

 Corvus corax principalis Ridgwat, Man. N. Amer. Birds, 1187, 361. 



The raven may be considered an occasional winter and early 

 spring visitant to our area. I have known of but two specimens 

 being taken within our limits during the past ten years. Both 

 of these were shot at Calumet Heights, Illinois; one by Mr. 

 George Knowles, and the other by Mr. Richard Turtle. At dif- 

 ferent times, observers have reported the presence of the Raven 

 within our limits. Many years ago, this species seems to have 

 been much more common. Mr. Robert Kennicott records* it as 

 "common . throughout the state," and says that the Raven was 

 known to nest in Cook County. Mr. E. W. Nelson says ( 1876) : 

 "Formerly a not uncommon resident ; now occurs only in winter 

 and is rare. Frequents the sand hills along the Lake shore from 

 the last of October until spring." Mr. Nelson places this note 

 under the name "C. corax var. carnivorus," which, in part at 

 least, is a synonym of Corvus corax principalis. 



Though nearly all the observers who have published reports 

 on the birds of northern Illinois, have considered the Ravens of 

 our region to be the subspecies sinuatus, I am convinced from the 

 study of specimens which have come into my hands that all are 

 the Northern Raven, or the larger form principalis. This opinion 

 is also supported by the general range of the two forms, as given 

 in the Check-list of the American Ornithologists' Union and by 

 Dr. Ridgway in the "Birds of North and Middle America."! 

 Sinuatus is a smaller form whose range barely reaches as far 

 north, in the Mississippi Valley, as southern Illinois and southern 

 Indiana. A specimen which I took at Meredosia, Illinois, some 

 years ago was pronounced by Dr. Ridgway to be principalis, and 

 in a recent letter, he says : "It would seem likely that the Raven 

 of northern Illinois, at least, should be principalis," 



This question needs further investigation and all specimens 

 of the Raven which are taken within our limits should be care- 

 fully examined, measured and studied. 



Corvus brachyrhjmchos C. L. Brehm. American Crow. 



Corvus oorone Wilson, Amer. Orn., IV, 1814, 79, pi. 25, fig. 3 (nee 

 Linnseus) . 



*TranB. Illinois State Agri. Society, Vol. I, 1853-1854, 585. 

 tBnll. U. S. Nat. Museum, No. 50, Part III, 259. 262. 



