40 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



natural death often follows. The position of a dead 

 sheep on the hill is frequently indicated by the flight of 

 ravens, hooded crows, and blackbacked gulls. 



April 17 (1892). — Three young ravens in nest at 



C ; near full-grown ; but they did not leave the nest 



till May 12th. I have, however, known of a brood of 

 young ravens fledged a week earlier than this. 



April 1 (1893). — Two young ravens hatched to-day. 

 This nest is in a very difficult position, all but inaccessible ; 

 that previously mentioned is in so simple a place one 

 might almost walk into it- — a tumble of huge boulders 

 flanking a ravine. Two of the five eyries mentioned are 

 so situate that, although inaccessible even by skilled 

 rock-climbing, yet the nests are overlooked from adjoin- 

 ing crags, and the eggs or young can thus be seen in 

 situ at quite short range. 



Yet another nest is situate midway down a heathery 

 escarpment, so precipitous that neither sheep nor man 

 can maintain equilibrium thereon, though I have seen 

 goats cross it. It forms the northern flank of a 

 mountain-gorge. About 100 feet below the summit, pro- 

 jects a grey boulder, half cleft asunder, and ornamented 

 by a gnarled and wind-tormented rowan. It is in the 

 cleft beneath, that the eyrie is situated. 



In the sixties many of these raven-haunted crags 

 were distant 20 miles and upwards from the nearest 

 railway. Nowadays, even in the wildest recesses of 

 "Cheviots' mountains lone," there are few spots so 

 remote. As showing the changes that have taken 

 place within the lifetime of one man, my venerable 

 friend, Canon Tristram of Durham, told me that he 

 himself, during the thirties, found nests of the follow- 

 ing, all in the parish of Eglingham, Northumberland, 



