THE RAVEN. 47 



sojourn by the brook Cherith, but the coincidence is 

 certainly curious and interesting. 



" In the United States the Eaven is in some meas- 

 ure a migratory bird, individuals retiring to the ex- 

 treme south during severe winters, but returning 

 toward the Middle, "Western, and Northern Districts 

 at the first indications of milder weather. A few 

 are known to breed in the mountainous portions of 

 South Carolina, but instances of this kind are rare, 

 and are occasioned merely by the security afforded 

 by inaccessible precipices, in which they may rear 

 their young. Their usual places of resort are the 

 mountains, the abrupt banks of rivers, the rocky 

 shores of lakes, and the cliffs of thinly peopled or 

 deserted islands. It is in such places that these birds 

 must be watched and examined, before one can judge 

 of their natural habits, as manifested amid their free- 

 dom from the dread of their most dangerous enemy, 

 the lord of creation. 



" The flight of the Eaven is powerful, even, and 

 at certain periods greatly protracted. During calm 

 and fair weather it often ascends to an immense height, 

 sailing there for hours at a time ; and although it 

 cannot be called swift, it propels itself with sufficient 

 power to enable it to contend with different species 

 of Hawks, and even with Eagles when attacked by 

 them. It manages to guide its course through the 

 thickest fogs of the countries of the north, and is 

 able to travel over immense tracts of land or water 

 without rest."* 



* Audubon. 



