292 Birds of Colorado 
principalis) of the northern and eastern portions of the Continent, 
from which it appears to be but doubtfully separable, and the ranges 
of the two forms are hardly accurately discriminated. 
In Colorado the Raven is a resident but a somewhat irregular 
wanderer ; it is most common on the western slope of the range, and is 
found at 10,000 to 12,000 feet in summer. It descends slightly lower 
in winter, and is occasionally met with on the plains. 
It has been noticed at Estes Park (Kellogg) ; Breckenridge, breeding 
(Carter); Twin Lakes, not common (Scott); Pikes Peak, at timber 
line (Aiken); near Salida, January (Warren); Wet Mountains (Lowe) ; 
Mesa co., breeding 5,000 to 7,000 feet (Rockwell); Gunnison co. and 
Coventry (Warren); San Juan co., common in fall (Drew); La Plata 
co., common (Morrison). 
Habits.—The Raven is a stately and sedate bird ; it 
is usually shy and suspicious of man, but where not 
molested will mingle with the fowls and pick up scraps 
about ranches and isolated cabins ; it is not particular 
in its diet, feeding on carrion, dead fish, insects, worms 
and slugs, while it is said to prey on young rabbits and 
even lambs; but definite evidence for the latter pro- 
pensity does not seem to be forthcoming. It is often seen 
consorting with the Turkey-Vulture round carcasses, 
and the two are evidently on the best of terms. Its 
voice is a loud, harsh ‘‘ Craack, craack.”’ 
It breeds in Mesa co., according to Rockwell, during 
April, from 5000 to 7000 feet, frequenting rocky, unsettled 
localities and nesting in high sandstone cliffs. It is 
particularly numerous in the box cafions emptying into 
the cafion of the Grand River. Warren (09) reports that 
Smith has taken several nests near Coventry, where 
it breeds in the sandstone ledges of the Naturita Cafion. 
The nest, as stated by Bendire, is nearly always placed 
on a ledge in a cliff with a south aspect, much more 
rarely in a tree; it is built up of sticks and lined with 
wool or hair; the eggs, five or six in number, are 
greenish, spotted and blotched with drab and brown, 
and measure 1:95 x 1:29. 
