RAVENS. 203 



when it disappeared altogether, and was supposed to 

 have met with an untimely end; when, about a fort- 

 night after it had been missed, the news arrived of its 

 safe return to its old residence at Chapel-le-Frith, distant 

 fourteen miles, where it was allowed to remain, and 

 where it still lives. 



A writer in the Naturalists' Magazine says that he 

 remembers, about fourteen years ago, seeing on a post 

 near the Elephant and Castle inn, at which such a mul- 

 titude of coaches stop, an inscription on " Ralph," a 

 Raven of great celebrity, who had been in his days a 

 distinguished member of the Elephant and Castle estab- 

 lishment. Those who recollected him gave several 

 instances of his sagacity, amongst others, that of his 

 knowledge of, and intimacy with, several of the coach- 

 men; with his particular favourites and friends, he would 

 frequently take short jaunts out on the coach top, until 

 he met some other coach, whose driver he also knew, 

 passing in a homeward direction, when he would imme- 

 diately change coaches and return. 



A still more curious anecdote of attachment and ob- 

 servation in Ravens, is given in the weekly Perio- 

 dical, the Saturday Magazine, which, from its application 

 to the subject before us, we here repeat. It occurred 

 many years ago, at the Red Lion inn, Hungerford; a 

 gentleman who lodged there, thus tells the story: 

 " Coming into the inn-yard," says he, " my chaise ran 

 over and bruised the leg of a favourite Newfoundland 

 dog, and while we were examining the injury, Ralph, the 

 Raven, looked on also, and was evidently making his 

 remarks on what was doing; for, the minute my dog was 

 tied up under the manger with my horse, Ralph not only 

 visited him, but brought him bones, and attended him 

 with particular marks of kindness. I observed it to the 

 ostler, who told me that the bird had been brought up 

 with a dog, and that the affection between them was 

 mutual, and all the neighbourhood had been witnesses 

 of the many acts of kindness performed by the one to 



