1^46 Audiihons Birds of America, 



•' The Haven is omnivorous, its food consisting of small animals of everj 

 kind, eggs, dead fish, carrion, shelUfish, insects, worms, nuts, berries, and 

 other kinds of fruit. I have never seen one attack a large living animal, as 

 the Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow are wont to do ; but I have known 

 it follow hunters when without dogs, to feed on the offals of the game, and 

 carry off salted fish when placed in a spring to freshen. It often rises in the 

 air with a shell-fish for the purpose of breaking it by letting it fall upon a 

 rock. Its sight is exceedingly acute, but its smell, if it possess the sense, is 

 weak. Ill this respect, it bears a great resemblance to our vultures. 



" The breeding season of this bird varies, according to the latitude, from 

 the beginning of January to that of June. I have found young Ravens on 

 the banks of the Lehigh and the Susquehannah rivers on the 1st of May ; 

 about ten days later on those of the majestic Hudson ; in the beginning of 

 June on the island of Grand Manan, off the Bay of Fundy ; and at Labrador 

 as late as the middle of July. The nest is always placed in the most inac- 

 cessible part of rocks that can be found, never, I believe, on trees, at least in 

 America. It is composed of sticks, coarse weeds, wool, and bunches of hair 

 of different animals. The eggs are from four to six, of a rather elongated 

 oval shape, fully two inches in length, having a ground colour of light green- 

 ish-blue, sprinkled all over with small irregular blotches of light purple and 

 yello'wish-brown, so numerous on the larger end as almost entirely to cover it. 

 The period of incubation extends to nineteen or twenty days. Only one 

 brood is raised in a year, unless the eggs or young be removed or destroyed- 

 The young remain in the nest many weeks before they are able to fly. The 

 old birds return to the same nest for years in succession ; and should one of 

 them be destroyed, the other will lead a new partner to the same abode. 

 Even after the young have made their appearance, should one of the parents 

 be killed, the survivor usually manages to find a mate, who undertakes the 

 task of assisting in feeding them. 



" The Raven may be said to be of a social disposition, for, after the breed- 

 ing season, flocks of forty, fifty, or more, may sometimes be seen, as 1 observ- 

 ed on the coast of Labrador, and on the Missouri. When domesticated, and 

 treated with kindness, it becomes attached to its owner, and will follow him 

 about with all the familiarity of a confiding friend. It is capable of imitating 

 the human voice, so that individuals have sometimes- been taught to enun- 

 ciate a few words with great distinctness. 



" On the ground the Raven walks in a stately manner, its motions exhibit- 

 ing a kind of thoughtful consideration, almost amounting to gravity. While 

 walking it frequently' moves up its wings as if to keep their muscles in action. 

 I never knew an instance of their roosting in the woods, although they fre- 

 quently alight on trees, to which they sometimes resort for the purpose of 

 procuring nuts and other fri'its. They usually betake themselves at night 

 to high rocks, in situations protected from the northerly winds. Possessing 

 10 all appearance the faculty of judging of the coming weather, they remove 

 from the higher, wild and dreary districts where they breed, into the low 

 lands, at the approach of winter, when they are frequently seen along the 

 <ihores of the sea, collecting the garbage that has.been cast to land, or picking 

 lip the shell-fish as the tide retires. They arc vigilant, industrious, and. 



