a’’. |
Plumage intensely black, feathers of hind neck firm and glossy with glistening shafts
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. corone, p. 24. |
b’’. |
Plumage not so black, feathers of hind neck soft and decomposed with inconspicuous shafts
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. coronoides, p. 25. |
b’. |
Lower plumage intensely glossed with blue and purple, bill slender, face of adults bare
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. frugilegus, p. 30. |
b. |
Hind neck grey or ashy, contrasting with black crown.
|
c’. |
Wing exceeding 300 mm.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. cornix, p. 32. |
d’. |
Wing never as much as 300 mm.
|
c’’. |
Chin and throat deep black contrasting with breast
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. splendens, p. 32. |
d’’. |
Chin and throat grey like breast
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. monedula, p. 36. |
Corvus corax.
Key to Subspecies.
A. |
Plumage glossy black, the brown tint if present almost imperceptible.
|
a. |
Wing averaging about 420 mm. Bill about 71 mm. Throat-hackles short
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. c. laurencei, p. 21. |
b. |
Wing averaging about 500 mm. Bill about 81 mm. Throat-hackles long
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. c. tibetanus, p. 23. |
B. |
Plumage very brown on neck, upper back and scapulars
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
|
C. c. ruficollis, p. 23. |
(1) Corvus corax laurencei.
The Punjab Raven.
Corvus laurencei Hume, Lah. to Yark., p. 235 (1873) (Punjab).
Corvus corax. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 14 (1889).
Vernacular names. The European Raven; Domkak, Doda (Hind. in the N.W.); Kargh (Candahar).
Description. Entirely black, glossed with steel-blue, purple and lilac; the throat-hackles short and not very conspicuous.
Colours of soft parts. Iris brown; bill and legs shining black.
Measurements. Length from about 600 to 620 mm.; wing from 400 to 440 mm.; tail about 240 mm.; tarsus about 60 mm.; culmen about 64 mm. to 75 mm.
Distribution. Punjab, Bombay, United Provinces and N.W. Provinces, and a rare straggler into Kashmir and Central India. It occurs also in Sind, but in the N.E. of that province the Brown-necked Raven takes its place.
Outside of India the Punjab Raven is found through Baluchistan, S. Persia, Mesopotamia, Southern Asia Minor and Northern