154 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



some food in Lis beak, satisfied himself on 

 this occasion with two or three swoops into 

 the terrified crowd, and having routed the mob 

 he approached the tree in which his nest was 

 placed. 



Before arriving there, however, he evidently 

 became aware of my presence, and dropping his 

 prey, which proved to be a rat, he ascended into 

 the air to a great height in circular gyrations, 

 after the manner of a falcon, where he was soon 

 joined by his consort, and the tw^o birds con- 

 tinued to soar above my head while I remained 

 there, uttering not only their usual hoarse croak, 

 but also an extraordinary sound resembling the 

 exclamation " Oh ! '' loudly and clearly ejaculated. 

 At first I could scarcely persuade myself that it 

 proceeded from the throat of either of the ravens, 

 but my doubts were soon dispelled, for there was 

 no human being within sight, and after carefully 

 examining one of the birds for some time with 

 my glass, I observed that each note was pre- 

 ceded by an opening of the beak, the distance, of 

 course, preventing sight and sound from being 

 exactly simultaneous. 



In the following year the beech grove was de- 

 serted for the fir clump. I shall never forget my 

 delight on discovering their new retreat near the 

 tower hill during the spring of 1844. It could be 



