120 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



becomes very tame, and often hops inside the peasant's 

 cottage. The following story is related in Norway 

 concerning the wren : " The birds once upon a time 

 assembled to elect a king, when, after a good deal of 

 discussion, it was decided that the bird that could fly 

 the highest should be the chosen sovereign of all. 

 The eagle, of course, winged the highest flight, and 

 claimed the sovereignty; when the little wren cried 

 out, ' Not so ; I stood on the eagle's head, and, there- 

 fore, as I ascended higher than he did, I am your 

 king/ The claim was allowed by the birds, and the 

 wren was duly elected ; but the eagle was so exas- 

 perated at the decision that he caught up the wren in 

 a rage, flew up high in the air with his pigmy rival 

 in his claws, and dropped him to the ground ! The 

 wren was more frightened than hurt, but he lost part 

 of his tail in the fall, and has ever since gone about 

 with only half of that necessary appendage. Moral : 

 Proud and ambitious people sometimes meet with an 

 unexpected downfall." 



The ' ' Corvidas " may be said to be common in Nor- 

 way. 



The raven (Corvus corax) is to be seen in various 

 parts of this country, and is often to be met with in 

 Finmark. It destroys much feathered game here, such 

 as the tyerper, ryper, etc. In winter it visits the sea- 

 coast, and feeds on fish. It pairs while the snow is on 

 the ground, and makes its nest in lofty pines, where it 

 lays from three to five greenish-coloured eggs, marked 

 with brown spots. 



The hooded crow (0. comix) is also common in 

 Norwegian Lapland, where it breeds. Its food there 



