THE RAVEN. 85 



to them, the person employed in preparing the food of the woodcutters told 

 us, that whenever she chanced to place a salt mackerel or other fish in the 

 brook running from the spring near the camp, "the Raven was sure to carry- 

 it away in less than an hour." She firmly believed that it had the power of 

 smelling the fish as she carried it from the hut to the water. We went to 

 the spot with her, and, leaving a fish there, returned to our homely meal, 

 but on visiting the place several hours after, we found it untouched. "The 

 Raven perhaps smelt the powder in our guns!" At all events, it did not 

 choose to come that day. 



The flesh of this bird is tough and unfit for food, but this indicates its 

 great strength. When wounded, it bites severely, and scratches with its 

 claws as fiercely as a Hawk. Like the latter also, it disgorges indigestible 

 substances, as bones, hair, and feathers. 



This species is plentiful on the Rocky Mountains and along the Columbia 

 river, and also abounds in the Fur Countries, and, according to Dr. 

 Richardson, visits the remotest islands of the Polar seas. It frequents the 

 Barren Grounds even in the most intense winter colds, its movements being 

 directed in a great measure by those of the herds of Rein Deer, Musk Oxen, 

 and Bison, which it follows, ready to assist in devouring such as are killed 

 by beasts of prey or by accident. He relates a curious instance of the pro- 

 pensity it shews to appropriate to itself any metallic substance. "Mr. 

 Kendal, in crossing the heights of land which divide the waters that flow 

 towards Hudson's Bay, from those which fall into the Arctic Sea, saw a 

 Raven flying off with something in his claws, pursued by a number of his 

 clamorous companions. The bird being fired at dropped the object of con- 

 tention, which proved to be the lock of a chest!" Mr. Townsend informs 

 me that on the Columbia river the Ravens constantly attend on the salmon 

 fisheries, and that during winter they are very expert at discovering the 

 small tents raised by the Indians for the purpose of saving their fish. They 

 are in all those districts constant attendants upon the hunters, for the purpose 

 of devouring the offal of all such game as may be slaughtered. 



Although I have found eggs of this species which measured rather more 

 than two inches in length, by an inch and three-eighths, others did not 

 measure more than one inch and seven-eighths by an inch and four-twelfths. 

 They also differ considerably in the tint of their ground-colour, as well as in 

 their markings. 



Raven, Corvus Corax, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. ix. p. 136. 



Corvds Corax, Bonap. Syn., p. 56. 



Corvus Corax, Raven, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 290. 



Raven, Corvus Corax, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 202. 



Raven, Corvus Corax, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 1; vol. v. p. 476. 



