CORVtJS CORAX. 521 



there was a Raven's nest on Icklingham Heath. He had been toUl by a nian 

 at work in the Belt. I therefore told him to tell the man I would give him 

 two shillings if he would get me the eggs. When Napthen (the gamekeeper) 

 heard of the nest, he wished to go himself and try to shoot the old birds -then 

 I should get the eggs for nothing. Friday afternoon f23rd March) was the day 

 appointed ; but the man in the Belt had been beforehand, and had got two of 

 the eggs for me. He said that Mr. Gwilt (the owner of the land) wished for 

 a young bird, and did not want the nest to be disturbed ; he therefore had not 

 taken the other three eggs. The eggs were much sat on, and one burst in 

 blowing it. The other is a very good specimen. I calculate that the first eg<^ 

 was laid on the 10th of tliis month— last year on the 12th."] 



[^ 2783. lyVc— Icklingliam Heath, 13-17 March, 1851. 



My brother went to the Heath on the 2-jth of February, but saw no birds- 

 One of the hursts had been wholly cut down. The nest was found with 

 three eggs on the 13th of March, when one was taken, the others on the 

 17th.] 



[§ 2784. Oue.— Icklingham Heath, 15 March, 1852. "A. & 

 E. N." 



It seems that there were only four eggs when this was taken, but a fifth may 

 have been laid afterwards. On the 23rd of April two young birds were taken 

 from this nest, and they lived about the house at Elveden for eleven years. 

 One of them clung so fast to the nest as to leave one of his hind claws in it, 

 but its loss never seemed to cause him any inconvenience. When this bird 

 was gTowing his first plumage, the longest primary on one side was perfectly 

 white, but on moulting the following autumn it was succeeded by one of the 

 normal colour, and no white feather appeared again so long as I had the bird's 

 acquaintance. In the spring of 1861 these birds carried a great many sticks to 

 the foot of two Portugal lam-els in which they were fond of sitting, but did not 

 succeed in getting them any higher. They also began to fight one another, and 

 on one occasion I found the bigger one bloody and much exhausted. I am 

 pretty sure from the resemblance of voice that they were of the same sex, and 

 probably males.] 



[§ 2785. i^o^^r.— Icklingham Heath, 21 March, 1853. "A. & 

 E. N." 



Out of six eggs, which were hatching. My brother and I wei-e present when 

 they were taken, and I rather think he climbed the tree, which was in the 

 same old hurst as before.] 



