THE RAVEN. 485 



THE RAVEN. 



" Saepe sinistra cava prsedixit ab ilice comix." VIRG. 



IT is now about three and twenty years since the last raven which 

 frequented this neighbourhood either lost its life for supposed 

 offences against the game-laws, or found it expedient to retire to 

 some distant part, where it could live unmolested and rear its brood 

 in safety. Not far from hence, in the middle of a wood, there was 

 a large oak tree, the bole of which, by its thickness and its towering 

 height, had set every idling boy at defiance time out of mind. On 

 a huge limb of this giant son of earth, a pair of ravens annually 

 renewed their nest and reared a brood of young. At last, in evil 

 hour, a restless village cobbler got a scheme into his head to plunder 

 the establishment, and he forthwith engaged the blacksmith to make 

 him some iron spikes, which were to be affixed to his feet, in order 

 to facilitate his ascent into the tree. With this provision one Sunday 

 morning, of all other days in the week, the ragged rascal bent his 

 unhallowed steps towards the tree which contained the ravens' nest. 

 By means of the spikes he was enabled to overcome the difficulties 

 hitherto deemed insurmountable by every passing vagabond, who 

 had cast a longing eye upon the treasure which was lodged in the 

 tree. He mounted aloft, and robbed the nest of its young. From 

 that unlucky day the ravens were never seen to alight again upon 

 their once favourite tree. But they still lingered in the neighbour- 

 hood, and as they approached the eastern hill, which forms one 

 side of this valley, I could hear their hoarse and hollow croaking 

 long before I could see the birds themselves. 



How different are the habits of the rooks with regard to their place 

 of incubation ! You may plunder their nest annually, and annually 

 they will return to it and perform their incubation in it. So will 

 the starling and the jackdaw. But the carrion crow abandons her 

 nest for ever after the breeding season, no matter whether it has 

 been plundered or not. It may here be remarked that the rook, the 

 starling, and the jackdaw, are always gregarious; the raven and the 

 carrion crow solitary birds most parts of the year. 



