EAVENS 99 



generally. Some examples assume immense pro- 

 portions, becoming a yard or more in height, as 

 much as thirty inches across, with an " egg-basin ' 

 from twenty to twenty-four inches in diameter by 

 eight inches deep. An average specimen, how- 

 ever, ranges from one to two feet in height, 

 spans from eighteen to twenty-four inches, while the 

 !< egg-cup " is between thirteen and sixteen inches 

 across by six or seven inches in depth. Sometimes, 

 from its position, the nest assumes a slightly oblong 

 shape, in which case, the " egg-basin," which is 

 beautifully smooth and elastic, has, naturally, one 

 of its cross -diameters considerably longer than the 

 other. I remember one such nest, whose " egg- 

 cup," while being eighteen inches one way, was only 

 fourteen the other. 



Both sexes assist at nest-building. Together 

 they arrive with material, together they depart for 

 more. At all seasons are a pair of Ravens greatly 

 attached to one another ; much of their spare time 

 they spend together. 



The Raven produces for its clutch from two to 

 seven eggs, usually four or five, though in some dis- 

 tricts a " six " is far from uncommon. A " seven," 

 however, is admittedly rare, so is a " two." In 

 fact, when only two eggs are found incubated, I 

 suspect accident has played its part in the picture. 

 All the same, in some areas genuine " threes " are 

 fairly frequent, generally being, one can only 

 imagine, the produce of very old females, though 



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