28 ■ BIRDS OF IVIGTUT. 



NORTHERN RAVEN. 

 COBVUS COBAX FEINCIFALIS. 



Very common all the year round ; seen and heard daily 

 along the coast. 



Prom August to October they gather in flocks, sometimes 

 as many as thirty, or in families. About this time they feed 

 largely on the berries of Empetrum nigrum, of which they 

 consume a great quantity. 



Often one Raven or more would attend the Eagles, as they 

 sat on the ice devouring their prey, and would even make it 

 unpleasant for the latter. 



At first the Ravens tried to pursue my Pigeons, but they 

 soon gave that up as useless. On one occasion, however, a 

 Raven pursued a Pigeon with surprising perseverance. At 

 last I lost sight of both, and never saw the Pigeon again. 



The Ravens often give the trappers considerable trouble, 

 for they are cunning enough to take the bait out of the fox- 

 trap and get their head out of the way before the trap falls 

 upon them. But occasionally they lose their heads in the 

 trap. I once caught a Raven instead of a fox in one of those 

 old-fashioned stone-traps in which a piece of board loaded 

 with a stone falls as soon as the bait is touched, and crushes 

 the victim. They are very noisy and curious, and if one 

 stands still on the mountain-cliffs, especially if he has a dog 

 with him, the Ravens will often come close to him, within 

 easy shooting-distance. 



I frequently noticed that when a strong wind blew from 

 the north they migrated in great numbers toward the south. 

 The largest of these migrations took place August 30, 1887, 

 when one hundred to two hundred crossed the valley. They 

 were seen through the entire day coming from the north side 

 of the fjord, flying low over it, stopping a little at the south 



