34 
Corvus corax principalis Ridgway. Northern Raven 
Ravens were seen commonly from Bellabella, B.C. (at the burned 
cannery wharf two were shot), to Attu island. They were making them- 
selves at home in most towns, villages, and cities visited, and no dingy 
crag along the shore of the Aleutians was complete without a raven or two 
winging over it and shouting out their bold, raucous challenge. At many 
places in the Aleutians their courting antics high in the air were observed — 
a pretty performance on the wing that has few parallels. It was found 
very hard to secure specimens except in the town, where they were bold 
and fearless. One shot at Unalaska — a very large and heavy bird — was 
washed overboard in a gale before it could be skinned. On the return 
several were seen at Unalaska, August 8, and two at Prince Rupert, August 
16. No ravens were seen in the Komandorskis. 
The Raven in even the remotest parts is the same brainy, crafty bird 
that he is when most in touch with man. It is said that when sheep 
were introduced in the Aleutians the ravens pulled out the wool for nest 
lining. They doubtless keep a close watch on the Bald Eagle as they are 
always found in the same habitat and probably get many fish scraps left 
by the eagle. At Atka island a ptarmigan was shot that flew some distance 
before falling. In order to reach it a detour had to be made that lost 
some minutes. Two ravens found the bird first and great seemed their 
chagrin and loud were their raucous anathemas when they had to retire. 
6 Bellabella, B.C. March 3. 
Corvus corax kamtschaticus Dybowsld. Kamchatkan Raven. Clark, 
p. 63. Hartert, p. 5. 
The raven was suspected at Petropavlovsk, on April 28, but its voice 
was not heard and the large Carrion Crows were perhaps misleading. On 
July 13, while the Thiepval lay off the entrance to Broughton bay, Shimishir 
island, “a raven was heard croaking, high up on the green-faced hill peak — 
true raven country. His voice was the voice of the American bird and his 
ringing “Crook!” was real music after the “Hawing” of his relatives south- 
ward. Probably there is a sharp dividing line somewhere here between 
life in the Kurils and in the main islands of Japan. The climate would 
indicate as much; for here it was cold — bitterly cold by comparison with 
even Hokkaido island." 
On July 27, in the hills back of Petropavlovsk, a raven was heard 
croaking on an adjoining high hilltop — the high-pitched musical “Crook!” 
of the bird of the north, not the Japanese “Haw\” This was almost cer- 
tainly the same hilltop and perhaps the same raven mentioned by A. H. 
Clark in ‘Birds of the 1906 “Albatross” Cruise’ when he says: “This bird 
also I met with only once, on the summit of a hill on the farther side of the 
large pond near Petropavlovsk." 
Corvus corax behringianus Dybowski. Commander Island Raven. 
Clark, p. 63. Hartert, p. 5. Brooks, p. 412. 
Corvus behringianus (Dybowski). Stejneger, p. 237. 
This Asiatic, speaking a strange corvine tongue, was met first at 
Hitokappu, Yetorup island, May 7, where a hundred or more were in 
sight about the village. Doubtless the fact that this was once a whaling 
