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| Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
A few weeks ago as I headed out to the car, there was a big ol’ black bird. Was it a crow or a raven? Were they one and the same just different names? Like couch and sofa. Or soda and pop.
So, I asked my hubby, “What’s the difference between a crow and a raven?”
He came back with a quick, snappy answer. “The spelling.”
Cracked me up.
My brain kept turning my question around in my head until I had to look it up.
They are two different birds. The similarities are that they are birds, black, and intelligent.
They are both part of the genus Corvus. The main differences seem to be the size and voice. A crow is smaller, being about the size of a dove, has a mid-range caw-caw. A raven is closer to the size of a hawk and has a course rattling call like a long, slow croaking tone. There are many other minor differences like tail shape, habitat, feather sheen, and lifespan, eight years for crows and thirty for ravens.
In my defense of not knowing the differences before, “crow” is a broad synonym for all of the genus Corvus. So, I could call a raven a crow but not a crow a raven.
Here is a video on many of the differences between a crow and a raven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ5iippq3rA
So, that begged the question about other similar animals. Is a rabbit a hare and a hare a rabbit? As I suspected, they are two different animals but of the same genus Leporidae. Rabbits are all-around smaller, smaller body, smaller ears, smaller hind legs. There are some large breed rabbits, but generally they are smaller than hares. Hares are faster, live above ground. Their babies are born furry, with their eyes open and need little adult care. Rabbits are slower, burrow underground, and their babies are born naked with closed eyes and need to be taken care of.
Next, I went on a search of mushrooms and toadstools. These two terms are not scientific ones for these fungi. It seems the general rule is mushrooms are edible and toadstools aren’t. However, there aren’t clear-cut, visible physical characteristics that set them apart. One would need a microscope and scalpel to look at the molecular makeup of a fungi to tell if it was an edible mushroom or a poisonous toadstool.
I think that’s enough of This or That.
(This is in no way a scientific study of these comparisons, but my conclusions for my own peace of mind on these pairs.)
Will Geneviève open her heart to a love she never imagined?
Washington State 1894
Geneviève Marseille has one purpose in coming to Kamola—stopping her brother from digging up the past. Deputy Montana has lived a simple life. But when a fancy French lady steps off the train and into his arms, his modest existence might not be enough anymore. A nemesis from Aunt Henny's past arrives in town threatening her with jail. Will she flee as she’d done all those years ago, or stand her ground in the town she’s made her home? When secrets come out, will the lives of Geneviève, Montana, and Aunt Henny ever be the same?
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