518 CORVUS CORAX. 



Falcon's nest about a quarter of a mile (Swedish) to tlie north of 

 Autsi-jarwi. 



§ 2780. Four. — Vuorasjoen-pahta, West Finmark, 22 April, 



1858. 



Brought by Piko Heiki, and found by him, in company with Lassi, 

 in an old Falcon's nest about twelve ells from the ground, and a mile 

 from Mortas. Fine dark-coloured eggs. 



§ 2781. Three. — Kattila-jarwi-pabta, West Finmark, 1 May, 

 1858. 

 Brought and found as the last. Very lightly-marked eggs. 



[Ravens having been well nigh extirpated from every inland station in most 

 parts of England, the following particulars of the later history, extending over 

 fifteen years, of what I believe to have been the last pair which inhabited East 

 Anglia ^ may have some interest for the reader. His first thought will natu- 

 rally be that they form a continuous record of plunder, and so it is ; but I 

 must premise that the old birds were spared from destruction, and they could 

 easily have been destroyed, only on condition that they should never take off 

 their young. My brother Edward and I had great difficulty, for some years at 

 least, in saving these Ravens. Over and over again we ascertained, from 

 examination of the pellets they cast up, that Moles formed their principal food, 

 — Rabbits' bones or fiu* occurring but rarely, and these were possibly obtained 

 from an animal which had already died in the open — and Moles were creatures 

 ■which a man was especially employed to kill ^ ; but gamekeepers and others 

 in authority would not believe us. Superstition undoubtedly aided us ; but all 

 gamekeepers were not superstitious. Though no instance was known of the birds' 

 attacking a sheep or lamb, indeed the Ravens generally kept away from the 

 folds, yet the shepherds were as bitterly hostile as the gamekeepers. One shep- 



^ The only tradition of other Ravens in West Suffolk I ever heard was of a pair 

 at Ickworth, and another at either Fakenham or Sapiston. About 1848 Mr. New- 

 come had a live bird from Middleton, near Lynn, in Norfolk, and I think there had 

 been a nest at Weeting not long before. 



^ The mole-catcher alone might be said to have a grievance ; but he did not 

 know that the Ravens preyed on his game, and, moreover, if he had stirred in the 

 matter we should have shewn him up, for we were aware that he wisely recognized 

 the value of a " close time " for Moles, in order that there might be the more for 

 him to kill, his profits depending on the number. 



