RAVEN. 207 



during this time the male takes care to provide her with 

 abundance of nourishment. Indeed, from the quantity of 

 grain, nuts, and fruits, which have been found at this time 

 in the environs of the nest, this supply would appear to be a 

 store laid up for future occasions. Whatever may be their 

 forethought regarding food, they have a well known 

 propensity to hid things which come within their reach, 

 though useless to themselves, and appear to give a prefer- 

 ence to pieces of metal, or any thing which has a bril- 

 liant appearance. At Erfurt, one of these birds had the 

 patience to carry and hide, one by one, under a stone in 

 the garden, a quantity of small pieces of money, which 

 amounted, when discovered, to 5 or 6 florins ; and there 

 are few countries which cannot afford similar instances 

 of their domestic thefts. 



Of the perseverance of the Raven in the act of incuba- 

 tion, Mr. White has related the following remarkable anec- 

 dote : in the centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood 

 a tall and shapeless oak, which bulged out into a large 

 excrescence near the middle of the stem. On this tree a 

 pair of Ravens had fixed their residence for such a series 

 of years, that the oak was distinguished by the title of 

 "The Raven Tree." Many were the attempts of the 

 neighbouring youths to get at this nest; the difficulty 

 whetted their inclinations, and each was ambitious of 

 accomplishing the arduous task ; but when they arrived at 

 the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was so far 

 beyond their grasp, that the boldest lads were deterred, 

 and acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. 

 Thus the Ravens continued to build, and rear their young 

 in security, until the fatal day on which the wood was to 

 be levelled. This was in the month of February, when 

 these birds usually begin to sit. The saw was applied 

 to the trunk, the wedges were driven, the woods echoed 



