SCAVENGERS 187 



does his part, quite unappreciated by man ; and even 

 our beloved starlings render valuable aid as street 

 cleaners, or better, as street ornaments. Ravens 

 are not so frequently seen on the streets, but there 

 are still a few who refuse to live anywhere except 

 in the cities. 



No wonder that everybody loves a raven ! He is 

 one of the most amusing and fascinating of birds. 

 He talks, sings, hops and skips, plays games, is ex- 

 tremely sociable, full of fun, and enjoys playing 

 tricks both with his own kind and with human be- 

 ings. He seems to do well in most all climates from 

 the tropics to the far north. On Alaska Island his 

 kind are very common, and in the colder regions 

 they afford by their amusing ways and tricks much 

 pleasure to the lonely inhabitants. It might truly 

 be said that the ravens and whisky- jacks, or blue- 

 jays, are the only professional entertainers of the 

 cold climates. In the big cities the ravens are more 

 desirable as scavengers than the common vulture. 

 It is a great tragedy that the raven is no longer 

 found, except in very rare cases, in many of the 

 larger cities. 



Not the least among the scavengers is the car- 

 rion-crow. He is indeed a Solomon among the bird 

 tribe, notwithstanding his low profession. He is 

 often found around the carcasses of dead animals in 



