196 RAVENS. 



most inaccessible branching fork of some high tree, 

 where they have been known to build beyond the 

 memory of the most ancient chronicler of the parish. 

 Probably most of our readers have, if not within their 

 own precincts, at least within their knowledge, a vener- 

 able establishment of this description. Ours is a noble 

 beech, about ninety feet in height, in the centre of a 

 beautiful wood, from time immemorial called the Raven 

 tree. At one extremity of this wood, a noisy troop of 

 Jackdaws have long been accustomed to rear their pro- 

 geny unmolested, provided they venture not too near 

 the sacred tree of the Ravens, in which case, one or 

 other of the old birds dashes upon the intruder, and the 

 wood is in an uproar, till the incautious bird is driven 

 off. Few have dared to scale the height of this famed 

 tree ; but the names of one or two individuals are on 

 record, who have accomplished the perilous undertaking,, 

 and carried off the contents of the nest. 



Some years ago the wife of a neighbouring farmer 

 made such loud complaints, on the diminution of a fine 

 brood of young Turkeys, which occasionally wandered 

 from her farm-yard, into some fields adjacent to the wood,, 

 that one of the old ones was shot: it proved to be the 

 female, whose young ones had unfortunately been 

 hatched, and were then nearly fledged. For a time,, 

 the surviving parent hovered about the nest, uttering 

 loud and menacing croakings whenever anybody ap- 

 proached. At length, however, he disappeared, and 

 absented himself for two or three days, and then returned 

 with another mate ; when a strange scene occurred. The 

 poor half-starved nestlings were attacked without mercy 

 by the stepmother; who, after severely wounding, preci- 

 pitated them from the nest; two, however, were found 

 at the foot of the tree with signs of life, and with great 

 care and attention, reared at the Rectory, about half a 

 mile distant, and after being slightly pinioned, were 

 allowed their liberty ; but they seldom quitted the lawn 

 or offices, roosting in a tree in the shrubbery. Here, 



