260 CORVID.E. 



contributed to its recognition, while its association with the 

 cherished beliefs of many nations causes it yet to be regarded 

 with aAve and reverence even by those who hate it. Bold 

 and sagacious, with a quick eye and, possibly, a keen sense 

 of smell, it must have been the familiar follower of the 

 prehistoric hunter and fisher, as, where it now exists, it is of 

 their successors, feasting on the refuse of their spoils and 

 hardly molested by them ; but it must always have been an 

 object of distrust, or something stronger, to herdsmen. No 

 sooner does an animal betray any sign of weakness, than the 

 Raven is on the watch for the opportunity, and, cautiously 

 awaiting the prostration of its victim, it begins its attack on 

 the eye — especially if the creature be large and still alive, 

 after which, applying itself to the perinaeum, it proceeds 

 gradually to draw out the intestines, until the muscles of 

 the eviscerated carcase alone are left to furnish a future meal. 

 This, however, is a state of things which follows chiefly on 

 the bird's acquaintance with man and the beasts he has 

 domesticated ; for, though undoubtedly the Raven is not 

 slow to avail itself of any carrion that falls in its way, it is 

 yet far from being entirely dependent on such means of 

 subsistence, but hunts and takes prey for itself much after 

 the manner of some of the Accipitrcs, whereby it does not 

 incur the reprobation with which it is so often, and often so 

 truly, charged. A pair of Ravens, known for many years to 

 the Editor, lived almost exclusively on moles, as he had 

 ample facility of determining from repeated examination of 

 the pellets of bone and hair which they, like so many other 

 carnivorous birds, cast up ; and unless Ravens, as is now 

 rarely the case in England, happen to be plentiful in any 

 district, the amount of harm they do is insignificant. Yet 

 it is otherwise in the wilder and mountainous parts of 

 Britain, and considerable loss is there inflicted by the Raven 

 on the owners of sheep, while even larger cattle sufler from 

 its attacks. But, as Saxby has well "^hewn, these are almost 

 invariably the beasts that, in the last stage of feebleness or 

 want, are left to take their chance on the barren hillside 

 aud thus meet their fate, the blame being due rather to 



