THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
the Rook is quite familiar, and the Jackdaw rears its 
young scarcely a stone’s-throw from some of our busiest 
thoroughfares. ‘The Raven isa solitary bird, seldom more 
than a pair being seen together; more frequently it is 
met with quite alone, but occasionally a party assembles 
in some spot where food chances to be exceptionally 
abundant. There are few more prying birds; it roams 
its haunts in all directions in quest of food, and its guttural 
cry of pruck-pruck heard before dawn and after dusk tells 
that it is abroad early and late in the quest. A pair of 
Ravens often frequent one particular district for time out 
of mind, driving off all intruders, and even their own 
young. ‘The food of the Raven is varied to an astonishing 
degree. The bird will eat anything and everything, 
live birds and animals equally with carrion of all sorts, 
eggs, grain, acorns, marine creatures, fish, and so forth. 
Its flight is steady and powerful, performed by regular 
and deliberate wing-beats, and, in the pairing season 
especially, the bird often indulges in various aerial gambols. 
The breeding season of the Raven begins with March, 
the eggs being laid during that and the following month, 
according to circumstances. ‘The huge nest used formerly 
to be very often built in a tree, but at the present time 
the majority of British Ravens resort to cliffs. ‘The nest 
is made of sticks, mixed with turf and warmly lined 
with roots, wool, fur, and hair. Some nests are much 
larger than others, being the accumulation of years. 
The average clutch of eggs is five. ‘They vary from 
bluish green to olive-brown in ground colour, spotted, 
splashed, and freckled with various shades of olive and 
grey. Occasionally a few very dark brownish specks 
ate seen. ‘The old birds are wary and watchful enough 
at the nest, and ever ready to beat off any but human 
intruders. 
The adult Raven is entirely black, glossed with blue 
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