78 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



in the county of Aberdeen the species is quite extinct as 

 a nesting bird at the present day, although towards the 

 western boundary of the county there is an extensive 

 area of some of the wildest country in Scotland. The 

 cause for the disappearance of the Raven from this area 

 is not easy to account for, but to the removal of the sheep 

 from the two largest deer forests may, I think, be largely 

 attributed the fact. But many records are to hand which 

 show that the Raven has been ruthlessly destroyed almost 

 everywhere. For instance, in 1780, at Arran, 10s. 6d. 

 was given for the destruction of each Raven's nest, while 

 in the case of the Kite only 2s. 6d. was offered. In three 

 years, from 1837 to 1840, 475 Ravens were killed in Glen 

 Garry. Previous to 1867 the Raven was very numerous 

 in Caithness and in Sutherland, and the Hoodie rare. Now 

 the reverse is the case. From 1870 to 1880, C62 Ravens 

 were killed in Sutherland alone, and for these birds a 

 premium of 2s. 6d. per head was allowed, a total of 

 £82, 16s. in all. 



It is only on the west and north-west coasts of Scotland 

 that the Raven is holding its own, and it is even said that 

 in some districts of Skye it has driven out the Golden 

 Eagle from its strongholds. In England the Raven is 

 nowhere numerous. A few pairs nest annually in Devon 

 and Cornwall, and in the Border district, but in most 

 places it is decreasing gradually year by year. In former 

 times the Raven nested on Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, but 

 has long since been banished from the Scottish capital. 

 For many years, too, a pair bred in the Mausoleum at 

 Castle Howard, Yorkshire. It is curious that a certain 

 rocky gorge, well kno>Mi to the writer, should have been 

 the unfortunately-chosen nesting site of a pair of Ravens 

 and Golden Eagles in succession. The Corbies were 

 banished from the district, and now for years on end the 

 Eagles have attempted, bravely though misguidedly, 



