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CHAPTER IX. 



Ravens occasionally desert their Young. Predacious Habits. 

 Sagacity. Various Anecdotes. Crows and Rooks Charac- 

 ters of each. Tame Crow. Meetings, or Councils of Crows, 

 Herons, Magpies, etc. Whether Rooks are beneficial or injuri- 

 ous to the Farmer. Hard Winters favourable to Insects. 

 Rookeries. Red-legged Crow. Jackdaws. Jays and Magpies. 



To a superficial observer of nature, there may appear a 

 much greater resemblance and connexion between the 

 Raven, the Crow, the Rook, and Jackdaw, than we find 

 from experience to be the case. At the same time, so 

 different in outward appearance are the Jay and Magpie, 

 that it may appear contrary to all rule to class them 

 together under one head but while there is a decided 

 mark of separation between each and all of them in 

 many respects, they nevertheless are by naturalists 

 included in the first section of what is called the genus 

 or family of Crows. The Raven, however, from his size 

 and character, naturally takes the lead. Go where we 

 will over the face of the wide world, and the well-known 

 hoarse croak of the Raven is still to be heard. He was 

 seen perched on the bare rocks, looking over the dreary 

 snows of the highest points visited in the Arctic Expedi- 

 tions. Under the burning sun of the Equator, he enjoys 

 his feast of carrion. He was discovered in the islands 

 of the Pacific Ocean by Captain Cook ; and in the lowest 

 southern, or antarctic regions, other travellers have 

 found him pursuing his cautious predatory life, just as 

 in England. 



With us he may be called the herald of the year ; for, 

 as early as the latter end of January, if the weather be 

 mild, or at all events in the beginning of February, some 

 faithful pair, (for the union of the male and female is 

 for life,) may be seen looking into the state of their 

 nursery-tenement, usually constructed on the upper and 



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