514 CORVUS COR AX. 



are fed and assisted by their parents, the flock living in great 

 harmony, until they separate about the middle of autumn. 

 In fact the raven is a very affectionate bird, and it is most 

 pleasing to see 'an old patriarch and his mate leading their 

 young about, warning them of impending danger, and teach- 

 ing them how to search for their food. 



Remarks. — Taken from the nest when nearly able to fly, the 

 Raven is easily reared, very soon learns to feed by itself, and 

 becomes an amusing, although occasionally mischievous pet. 

 It defends itself against dogs and cats with great courage and 

 success, and may be taught to pronounce words with consider- 

 able accuracy. Numerous stories are told of its thieving f)ro- 

 pensities ; but let one sufUce : " We have been assured,^' says 

 Montagu, " by a gentleman of veracity, that his butler having 

 missed a great many silver spoons and other articles, without 

 being able to detect the thief for some time, at last observed a 

 tame raven with one in his mouth, and watched him to his 

 hiding-place, where he found more than a dozen."" 



JNIany anecdotes illustrative of the habits of the Raven in a 

 domesticated state, and indicative of faculties superior to those 

 of almost every other bird, might be gathered from various 

 works ; but I shall content myself with one related by the 

 Reverend Edward Stanley, in his " Familiar History of Birds,^^ 

 " It occurred many years ago, at the Red Lion Inn, Hunger- 

 ford; a gentleman who lodged there thus tells the story: — 

 ' Coming into the inn-yard," says he, ' my chaise ran over and 

 bruised the leg of a favourite Newfoundland dog, and, while 

 we were examining the injury, Ralph, the Raven, looked on 

 also, and was evidently making his remarks on what was do- 

 ing ; for, the minute my dog was tied up under the manger, 

 with my horse, Ralph not only visited him, but brought him 

 bones, and attended him with particular marks of kindness. 

 I observed it to the ostler, who told me that the bird had been 

 brought up with a dog, and that the affection between them 

 was mutual, and all the neighbourhood had been witnesses of 

 the many acts of kindness performed by the one to the other. 

 Ralph's friend, the dog, in course of time, had the misfortune 



