42 BIRD LIFE IN WILD WALES 



dark, forbidding-looking gorge, running at right angles 

 to it. Almost immediately the cock Raven leaves 

 his watch-tower on a slab of rock, shortly followed by 

 his partner, but she goes more reluctantly, for her nest 

 is here, and in a very picturesque spot too. This is 

 built in a hollow in the perpendicular cliffside, the 

 entrance being overgrown with ivy, as if to hide it 

 from too inquisitive eyes, and without the aid of ropes 

 is absolutely inaccessible. The limpid waters of the 

 stream rush over dark granite boulders, full seventy 

 feet below, and fern fronds and deep velvety mosses 

 cling tenaciously to the surrounding rocks. A pair 

 of Carrion Crows pass over at a respectful distance, 

 and a Grey Wagtail and his mate are chasing one 

 another in the chasm below. But the Ravens have 

 vanished, though doubtless one or both of them are 

 watching us from some coign of vantage. By care- 

 ful climbing we can reach an ash-tree growing from 

 the cliff within eight or ten feet of the nest, and look 

 in. It contains but two eggs, rather dark ones, and 

 from the way the female left them we opine that she 

 has already begun to set, though the clutch is such a 

 small one. 



After this we turn our heads towards home, wending 

 our way o'er the mist}' moorland, for a regular Scotch 

 mist has come driving down the valleys, enveloping 

 everything as if in densest smoke, and indeed 'twould 

 be easy to lose oneself in such an impenetrable fog ; 

 but the keeper — good fellow — knows his ground well, 

 and in due course we sit in front of the cheerful log 

 fire at the inn. 



Next morning we start on our travels about nine 



