CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 167 



This species does not visit the Aleutian Islands. The farthest west that I could learn of their 

 occurrence was at Belkovsky, though they may be eventually found on Unimak Island, next the 

 western end of Aliaska. 



484&. Perisoreus canadensis fumifrons Ridgw. Alaskan Jay. 



This bird is known by the name of Whisky Jack throughout the Hudson Bay territory, and 

 Sdyah to the Russian-speaking element of Alaska. 



It rarely occurs in the vicinity of Saint Michael's. Two specimens were obtained at the Re- 

 doubt, during my three-and-a-half years' stay there. 



Along the Yukon River it is abundant and a permanent resident. 



The most of my specimens were obtained from Fort Tukon, Nulato and Anvik, on the Yukon 

 River. 



I did not observe it in any other part of the country. 



There is great diversity in coloration of plumage. The old birds become nearly white, from 

 the dark sooty plumage of the young. 



486. Corvus corax siNUATUS (Wagl.). American Raven. 



The American Raven is a resident throughout the Territory of Alaska. In the vicinity of 

 Saint Michael's it is common in summer. 



During the excessively cold periods of winter it retires to the interior. It visits the coast during 

 warm, broken spells of weather in winter; in the early spring many individuals may be seen. 



It does not breed near Saint Michael's that I am aware of, but on the high bluffs along the 

 Yukon River it breeds in numbers. 



The Raven seems to prefer the more thickly settled localities, and is more abundant near 

 villages than iu the less populated districts. It is common at Nusbagak and on all the Aleutian 

 islands. 



At Unalashka it is extremely numerous. I have counted over two hundred individuals at one 

 time at that place. At Atkha and Attn Islands it is also very numerous. They are the scavengers 

 of the villages. They have a great share of intelligence ; though not shy they are extremely wary, 

 and when they assemble round a pile of offal, left from cleaning fish, which some fisherman has just 

 brought in, they are ever on the alert. It is scarcely possible to pick up a stone to throw at them 

 without being seen, even though the distance off might make one think he has not been observed. 

 When the person arrives at several rods from throwing distance, the Ravens take flight, to return 

 as soon as the intruder is out of reach. 



At Atkha the natives and others have many chickens. The Alaska Commercial Company had 

 two roosters and several hens. One of these roosters, a veritable Turk, fought the younger rooster 

 until the latter had, in some one of his battles, lost his right eye. The loss of this eye pre- 

 vented him from guarding against the sudden attacks of the older rooster, which finally drove the 

 younger to the outskirts of the flock or else to solitude. The younger roost used to hang round 

 some of the hens to divert them from the attentions of the older one, which finally gave him such 

 a beating as to nearly kill him. 



The Ravens used to watch these affrays, and alight within a few yards to witness the fight, but 

 always taking good care to keep out of reach of the old rooster. 



Out of revenge and a mixture of pure cursedness they would wait until the younger rooster 

 was walking among the tall grass and sail directly over him, then drop down on the ground near 

 him, uttering a loud snwalc, which made the young rooster believe the old one had slipped up on 

 him. I have seen this done over a score of times, and have seen the young rooster drop on the 

 ground from fright. 



On the approach of bad weather the Ravens retire to a high, bold precipice ; and, over its top, 

 or along its face, they go through the most astonishing, aerial evolutions, chasing each other for 

 hours in and out, to the right and left, up and down. Their flight at such times is extremely 

 varied with rapid heats of the wing or a short sail, a sudden halt, and turn completely over and fly 

 back from where they started. They also turn over sidewise, generally to the right and under, 

 coming up on the other side and continuing without halt. They frequently fly with one wing closed 

 and the other straight up in the air. 



