WESTERN RAVEN. Corvus corax sinuatus Wagler

Field characters.—Large size (close to that of Red-tailed Hawk); wholly black, glistening plumage. Flight direct, with deliberate wing beats. Voice: Usually a harsh croak.

Occurrence.—;Rare straggler; a single individual seen at Pleasant Valley, January 2, 1915.

Conditions in the Yosemite region do not seem to be attractive to the Western Raven, as we saw only a single individual, as noted above, and that bird was doubtless a wanderer from farther south in the San Joaquin Valley. Elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada the species is common locally, as for instance in the vicinity of Whitney Meadows. The general lack of cattle, with which the raven is so often associated, may be a partial explanation of the absence of the species from the Yosemite region.