174 BRITISH BIRDS. 



had been shut, but the window was left open ; and 

 through it — roused, shall it be said, by strong ambition 

 for a similar display ? — the raven had entered ; and 

 now the result appeared, for on a heap of rubbish in the 

 yard, the spoons, knives, forks, and mats were carefully 

 set out, and the raven was doing the honours of the 

 table, and regaling a numerous company of poultry with 

 a dinner of bread. 



Another fact may be mentioned of a different kind. 

 A gentleman was entering the yard of the Red Lion inn, 

 at Hungcrford, when his chaise ran over and bruised 

 the leg of his Newfoundland dog. While he and others 

 were examining the injury, a raven, called Rafe, which 

 had lived there some time, was evidently a concerned 

 spectator of what was transpiring. No sooner was the 

 dog tied up under the manger with the horse, than Rafe 

 brought him bones, and attended on him with particular 

 and repeated marks of kindness. When this was men- 

 tioned to the ostler, he said that the bird had been 

 brought up with a dog; that a mutual affection was 

 manifested by them, and that their reciprocal acts of 

 kindness had been witnessed by the whole neighbour- 

 hood. Rafe's poor friend after a time broke his leg, 

 and all the while he was confined the bird waited on 

 him, carried him his provision, and scarcely ever left 



