34



Correspondence.



The young Doves should not have died. If they had fits, there was

something wrong with the feeding.


Some insectivorous parents will carry preserved yolk of egg in flakes

to their young. Another time you might try this along with the insects

should your Cardinals nest again. Ordinary boiled egg will not do ; it is

too sticky I suppose. Reginald Phieeipps.



RAVENS, CROWS, ROOKS, ETC.


Sir, —Can you give me any information regarding the habits of

Ravens ?


A friend of mine in this town has a bird which we call a Rook, not

knowing what else to call it; but we think now it must be a young Raven.

She found the bird some two months ago outside her drawing-room

window, pecking hard at the glass to draw attention to its state of hunger.

The bird must have escaped from somewhere as its wings had been clipped,

but the creature could fly to a certain extent, and used to spend most of

its time in my friend’s garden roosting in the trees. It has one very

interesting habit which I have never known Rooks have, and that is hiding

its food in holes and crannies of rockery-sort-of-places. It is very fond of

my friend as also is my friend of it, and will let her do anything she likes

with it.


The bird was missing for a few days last week, greatly to our sorrow ;

and we were afraid it had been caught or killed by stone-throwing boys, of

which there are a terrible number in Bideford ; and my friend hunted

everywhere for her pet, and enquired at the houses all round. It was

found at last in a cottage near by, in quite a small box in which it had

hardly room to move; and I should imagine that not much food and no

water had been given to the poor thing all the three days it was missing.

My friend is now afraid of giving the bird its liberty; and I suggest that a

large aviary be built for it somewhere in the garden.


It is jet black, with very clean neat black legs, the head is rather flat,

and there is not a white feather to be seen anywhere.


It is full of mischief, and steals everything it can lay hold of, and

then hides it and covers it all up with anything it can find. Can you give

me any suggestions as to treatment, etc. ? It prefers meat to anything else,


but nothing seems to come amiss.The plumage is glossy


blue-black, and the size about that of a full grown Rook now, though the

bird is quite young. I do not think it can be a Rook, but fancy it is a

young Raven. Mary Keene.


The following reply was sent to Mrs. Keene :


I understand from your letter that you are acquainted with the Rook.

If the bird be a trifle larger than a Rook, then doubtless it is a Crow ; but

if it be a good deal larger, with a long stout bill, then it is a Raven.



