The Birds of Shakespeare 
But the most frequent reference made by 
Shakespeare to this bird has regard to 
its supposed boding power. It is called 
the ‘fatal raven.” A messenger of jail 
news is said to “sing a raven’s note.” 
When Othello has the first suspicions 
craftily suggested to him by Iago, he 
exclaims 
O, it comes o’er my memory, 
As doth the raven o’er the infected house, 
Boding to all. 
Again, when the king is approaching the 
Castle at Inverness, we hear from Lady 
Macbeth the ominous words : 
The raven himself is hoarse 
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan 
Under my battlements.” 
Under the general name of cRows 
Shakespeare seems to group the Carrion 
Crow, the Hooded Crow and the Rook, 
though the last-named is plainly distin- 
1 Othello, iv. 1. 20. . Macbeth, tiV.ioe 
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