210 
ZOOLOGY. 
Sp. Ch. —Bill stout, quiscaline, the commissure scarcely sinuated; shorter than the head and the hind toe; the height nearly 
half the length above. Wing nearly an inch longer than tail; the second quill longest; the first about equal to the third. Tail 
rounded and moderately graduated; the lateral feathers about .35 of an inch shorter. General color of male black, with lustrous 
green reflections everywhere except on the head and neck, which are glossed with purplish violet. Female much duller, of a light 
brownish anteriorly; a very faint superciliary stripe. 
Male, 9£ inches; extent, 16^ inches. Female, 9£ inches ; extent, 14| inches ; wing, 5.30 ; tail, 4.40. 
Ilab .—High Central Plains to the Pacific; south to Mexico; Pembina, Minn. 
In winter I obtained specimens of the western grackle at Vancouver, and have no doubt that 
it is a constant resident at the Columbia river. I have never seen them at Puget Sound. In 
notes and habits they are scarcely distinguishable from the rusty grackle of the Atlantic States. 
In winter they kept about the stahles in flocks of fifty or more, and on warm days would fly about 
more in the tree tops, where, with the redwing, they sang their harsh but pleasant chorus for 
some hours. They are found throughout the Territory and east of the Rocky mountains.—C. 
Quite abundant at Fort Dalles; rare west of the Cascade mountains. The species is a winter 
resident at the Dalles, where in flocks it may frequently be found in cold weather in the vicinity 
of barnyards and stables. The iris of the male bird is of a bright yelloiv , that of the female 
broivn. —S. 
Family CORVIDAE. 
Sub-Family CORVINAE. Crows. 
CORVUS CARNIVORUS, Bar tram. 
American Raven. 
Corvus carnivorus, Bartram, Travels in E. Florida, 1793, 290. Baird, Gen. Bep. Birds, p. 560. 
Corvus corax, Wilson, Am. Orn IX, 1825, 136 ; pi. lxxv, f. 3.— Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 36—In. Syn. 1828, 
56.— Doughty, Cab. N. H. I, 1830, 270; pi. xxiv.— Rich. F. B. Am. II, 1831,290.— 
Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, 202.— Add. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 476 ; pi. 101.— Ib. Syn. 1839,150.— 
Ib. Birds Amer. IY, 1842, 78 ; pi. 224. 
Corvus cacalott, Newberry, P. R. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 82. 
Corvus luguhris, Agassiz, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. II, Dec. 1846, 188. 
Sp. Ch.— Fourth quill longest; third and fifth quill about equal; second between fifth and sixth; first nearly equal to the eighth. 
Length, about 24 to 25 inches ; extent, 50 to 51; wing, about 17 , tail, 10. Tail moderately graduated , the outer about 1.60 to 
1.90 of an inch less than the middle. Entirely glossy back, with violet reflections. 
Hab. —Entire continent of North America. Rare east of the Mississippi. 
'Ok 
The raven is very common in the mountainous western regions. During summer they are 
less abundant, as they are then scattered through the forests and mountains, but in winter they 
congregate about settlements and the sea-shore, where they can obtain a better supply of food. 
On the barren arid plains east of the Cascade mountains, they were very common during our 
journey there, while the common crow was rarely seen. At Vancouver, however, in winter, I 
observed them amicably associating together, and along the coast with the more gregarious fish- 
crows. Though they did not quarrel, the smaller crows would respectfully retire on the 
approach of the raven to its food. But during spring, when they had nests, the fish-crows would 
boldly attack and drive them away, being quicker and lighter on the wing than the raven. The 
only raven’s nest I have seen was on a tree growing on a cliff about 50 feet high, on the shores 
of the Straits of De Fuca. It contained young in April.—C. 
This bird I first found plentiful when, in going west, we reached the “great bend” of the 
upper Missouri. In the Rocky mountains and adjacent country it is very abundant, and 
