150 ORNITnOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



But to return. Their expulsion from this 

 neighbourhood, many years ago, was as follows. 

 A pair of these birds had built their nest on a 

 lofty tree in the park, and as a matter of course 

 were discovered by one of the keepers. Suffering 

 them to remain unmolested during the period of 

 nidification, he waited until, deceived by his 

 Machiavellian policy, the ravens treated his ap- 

 pearance, even when armed, with comparative 

 disregard. Ill did he repay their misplaced con- 

 fidence! One day, when the period had nearly 

 arrived at which an addition to the family was to 

 be expected, and the eggs were in his opinion 

 "sot hard," a rifle-bullet directed through the 

 bottom of the nest stretched the female bird life- 

 less within it; and shortly afterwards, her partner 

 who had been catering for her at a distance, was 

 saluted on his return with a volley of shot, which 

 laid him quivering at the foot of the tree, and 

 completed the success of the functionary, who in 

 those days used to perform among the feathered 

 tribes the triple duties of judge, jury, and execu- 

 tioner.* 



* To the honour of the fraternity let me, however, 

 record the following facts. Some years ago, a pair of 

 ravens used to breed annually in Burton Park, disap- 

 pearing from the neighbourhood when the young were 

 fledged, but always returning in the ensuing spring. 



