Notes on a few Maine Birds. — Corvus corax. Raven. — These birds 
are frequently seen about the islands on the Maine coast, to the west of 
Penobscot Bay, particularly on Isle au Haut, Duck Islands, Cranberry 
Islands, and other points to the westward, but so far as I can ascertain 
they have not been found breeding on our coast east of Grand Menan. 
At that place, however, Mr. George A. Boardman has found them nesting 
on the high cliffs. 
On May 5 of this year (1881) I received two Raven’s eggs, which were 
taken from a nest on Duck Island about the last of April. Both birds 
were shot down, but were not secured. The nest was placed in the top of 
a sfruce tree , and described as a very bulky affair, built of sticks and lined 
with moss, cow’s hair, and wool. It contained three eggs at that time. 
Several of these birds were poisoned on Isle au Haut in the winter of 
1879-80 by a Mr. Curran who was using meat poisoned with strychnine 
to kill foxes. The inhabitants assert that they breed on that island, and 
that they kill lambs by alighting on them and picking out their eyes. 
/ V ,1 ■t 'l y yrlt r f / f 
Bull N.O.O. 0,00^1881,5, 
Raven’s Nest. — Since the 23d of Feb- 
ruary, 1880, we have kept an English Ra- 
ven which has not been confined but had 
its liberty to go where it pleased, but it 
has never strayed far from its home. For 
the past year we have resided on Laurel 
Hill, near the centre of Norwich City. The 
east side of this hill is a wooded, rocky 
precipice, about two hundred feet deep 
and one or two hundred yards in extent. 
Nature could not have made a place more 
suitable to the habits of this bird, and dur- 
ing the present month of July we have dis- 
covered that it has built a perfect nest in 
every respect. It is of the same materials 
throughout and a perfect counterpart of a 
Crow’s nest only it is somewhat larger. 
This nest is near the upper surface of the 
precipice on a large flat ledge of rock and 
covered by another similar rock. The nest 
cannot be seen either from above or below. 
We always supposed this bird to be pin- 
ioned, but we have seen it make circling 
flights of fifty to one hundred yards. 
Whether it is male or female, we know not. 
Jako has led quite an interesting and 
amusing life while in our possession, which 
we would tell had we the room to do so. 
CO 
CO 
3 
T had the good fortune that 'afternoon of 
coming across two nests of the Ameucan^ ^ 
. »«. »>-• 
willow trees about a qu much worked 
and the four ravens wer ^ they circ led 
up over out atnv • head like a hawk, 
round and round us, o\ ’ R ;o-ht and 
until they almost dUappea^^ wouW 
we could hardly see hoarse cry that is so 
SSSc oTJbi. bird, come from the clouds 
’ were - 
made nest of a huge m was a ll 
well shaped and very deep- J neS t 
nicely lined with tufts of cow hair. ^ ^ q£ 
the hair was all red, while guffe , edi f0 r 1 
the other white steers u vens go t their 
have no doubt hut ^ 1 
hair from weather alig ht on 
seen them in the s out huge mouth- 
the hack of a st e er ' d vorac ious do they 
fuls of flesh, so hungry and voi 
become. number; in both sets 
The eggs were rnghUnnumbe ^ ^ ( 
one being P erfe y ; proper tools with 
C ° Uld t°t JTor ’they were S bright green with 
me. tn coloi J of b i a ck running 
great elongate All sixte en were 
lengthwise w th the e g ishab i e . 
mon crow in eveiy 5 ’ ’ 1 knew it 
r™. — - 
c>+c£>. xD- b'T’ 
If 
