RAVENS IN SOMERSET 165 



that they had not done so as yet, but they might kill 

 a lamb at any time ; and, besides, there were the 

 rabbits — the place swarmed with them — there was 

 no doubt that a young rabbit was taken occasionally. 



Why, then, I asked, if they were so destructive, 

 did not his master go out and shoot them at once ? 

 The man looked grave, and answered that his master 

 would not do the killing himself, but would be very 

 glad to see it done by some other person. 



How curious it is to find that the old superstitions 

 about the raven and the evil consequences of inflicting 

 wilful injury on the bird still survive, in spite of the 

 fact that the species has been persecuted almost to 

 extirpation ! 



" Have you not read, sir," Don Quixote is made 

 to say, " the annals and histories of England, where- 

 in are renowned and famous exploits of King Arthur? 

 of whom there goes a tradition, and a common one, 

 all over that kingdom of Great Britain, that the 

 king did not die, but that by magic art he was trans- 

 formed into a raven, and that in process of time he 

 shall reign again and recover his kingdom and 

 sceptre, for which reason it cannot be proved that, 

 from that day to this, any Englishman has killed a 

 raven ? " 



Now, it is certain that many Englishmen kill 



