LITTORAL LAND BIRDS. 265 
now, especially in England, it is most frequently 
seen along the coast. Here, its favourite retreats 
and nesting-places are lofty cliffs. From these, its 
headquarters, it roams far and wide, not only along 
the shore, but far inland in quest of food. It is a 
fine sight to see this big sable bird dash out from 
the cliffs, and fly upwards on powerful wing, 
croaking and barking as it goes; or, better still, 
when male and female toy with and buffet each 
other high in air, uttering a series of shrill and, 
sometimes, by no means unmusical notes. The 
Raven feeds on almost everything in the shape of 
flesh, carrion, as well as living creatures, indiscrimi- 
nately. 
This bird is an early breeder. It pairs for 
life, and continues to frequent one spot for nesting 
purposes year after year. Formerly many Ravens 
made their nests in trees, but now the usual situa- 
tion is some ledge or crevice in a lofty precipice. 
The nest, added to or repaired each season, is made 
of sticks, and lined with turf, moss, wool, fur, and 
hair, and is generally a large, bulky structure. 
_ Five eggs are usually laid, bluish-green, blotched 
and spotted with olive-brown and gray. The 
Raven very closely resembles the Carrion Crow in 
colour, but may readily be distinguished by its 
much larger size. This bird has a very wide 
distribution over Europe, Northern Asia, and 
North America. 
