In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 299 



clerk of our parish, James Oates, told me a very curious tale con- 

 cerning these birds. He was out working one day when he saw a 

 Pigeon fly past him closely pursued by a couple of Ravens, one of 

 which, just after they had passed him, struck the pigeon on the 

 head, which fell in an adjoining hedge. He ran up and secured the 

 Pigeon for his dinner, when he found the bird's head and neck laid 

 bare by the stroke of the Raven's bill. This I should fancy was 

 rather an exceptional incident, although they doubtless attack any- 

 thing that affords them a fair opportunity. In 1877 King had 

 three birds brought to him for preservation which had been killed 

 at the head of Shearwater Lake. But before I take leave of these 

 noble birds I cannot help relating an occurrence concerning them 

 which was told to me by Mr. E. Baker, of Mere, and which would seem 

 to afford a striking instance of the power of scent which is often at- 

 tributed to them. It was in the May of the year 1871, when Mr. 

 Baker was attending the funeral of two little nieces who had died 

 from diptheria. Their sad way lay along the downs for a mile or 

 more, and they had not proceeded far when a pair of Ravens made 

 their appearance, and followed the party closely for nearly a mile. 

 During this time these birds made repeated and determined swoops 

 at the coffins in which the bodies were contained, which they con- 

 tinued to do, until approaching a hollow in the downs where a rook- 

 ery was located, the Rooks sallied out, and mobbed the Ravens, so 

 that they at last turned tail, and left the party. The swoops that 

 the birds made at the coffins were, as Mr. Baker describes, most 

 frequent and decided, leaving on his mind no doubt that their 

 wonderful power of scent had detected the corpses, although pre- 

 sented to them in such an unusual and unaccustomed form. 



Corvus Corone. " The Carrion Crow.'' The Raven in miniature, 

 as regards shape and appearance, but without the beautifully glossy 

 plumage of the latter. Scattered generally everywhere. We have 

 a pair that have built rom time immemorial in our, water-meadows, 

 finding ample provision in the dead fish and other matter that is 

 always to be found in our " carriages and drawings," as our water- 

 courses are called. In 1877 I took their first nest — as I wanted 

 some eggs for my boys' collection — which was built in the topmost 



