CROWS 



(486a) Corvus corax principalis 



Ridgway 

 (Lat., -d crow; a croaker; principal). 



NORTHERN RAVEN. Whole 

 plumage black, with steel-blue re- 

 flections; feathers on neck lanceolate 

 as shown by the lower bird. L., 

 24.00; Ex., 50.00; B., 2.75. 



Range — Whole of Canada and 



south to Me. and Minn., coasts of 



N. J. and Va. and in mountains to Ga. 



(488) C. brachyrhynclios bra= 



chyrhynchos 



CROW. Glossy black. L., 19.00; 

 B., 1.90. Eastern North America; 

 replaced in Fla. bv the FLORIDA 

 CROW (C. b. pascuus). 



(490) C. ossifragus 



FISH CROW. A small species. 

 L., 15.00. From Mass. south along 

 the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. '- • 



RAVENS are not uncommon in the northern half of 

 Canada, but are very locally distributed along our northern 

 border and casually farther south. Although they are much 

 larger than the common Crow, their bills are even larger in 

 proportion, and are bedded in long, stiff bristles. The con- 

 siderably lengthened feathers of the throat and sides of the 

 neck are characteristic. They are to a large extent scav- 

 engers, feeding upon dead animals or fish. But they have the 

 usual habits of the family in destroying eggs and young 

 of birds and animals. They are very powerful and fully 

 capable of killing quite large creatures, but there appears to 

 be little foundation for stories of their attacking lambs and 

 other domestic animals. Their notes are quite varied but 

 are all hoarse and raucous caws and croakings. 



They nest in the tops of the very tallest coniferous trees 

 or on high ledges or bluffs. They return to the same site 

 and the same nest year after year. 



CROWS are almost too weU known everywhere to be even 

 mentioned. As one old farmer said to me, "The pesky 



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