NORTHERN RAVEN. 1 25 



were driven, the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the beetle 

 or mallet, and the tree nodded to its fall ; but still the devoted 

 Raven sat on. At last, when it gave way, she was flung from 

 her ancient eyry ; and a victim to parental affection, was 

 whipped down by the twigs, and brought lifeless to the 

 ground. 



The young, at first more white than black, are fed by food 

 previously prepared in the craw of the mother and then dis- 

 gorged by the bill, nearly in the manner of pigeons. The male 

 at this time, doubly vigilant and industrious, not only provides 

 for, but defends his family vigorously from every hostile attack, 

 and shows a particular enmity to the Kite when he appears in 

 his neighborhood, pouncing upon him and striking with his 

 bill until sometimes both antagonists descend to the ground. 

 The young are long and affectionately fed by the parents ; and 

 though they soon leave the nest, they remain perching on the 

 neighboring rocks, yet unable to make any extensive flight, and 

 pass the time in continual complaining cries till the approach 

 of the parent with food, when their note changes into craw, 

 craw, craw. Now and then as they gain strength they make 

 efforts to fly, and then return to their rocky roost. About 15 

 days after leaving the nest, they become so well prepared for 

 flight as to accompany the parents out on their excursions from 

 morning to night ; and it is amusing to watch the progress of 

 this affectionate association, the young continuing the whole 

 summer to go out with the old in the morning, and as regularly 

 return with them again in the evening, so that however we may 

 despise the appetite of the Raven, we cannot but admire the 

 instinctive morality of his nature. 



Like birds of prey, the Ravens reject from the stomach, by 

 the bill, the hard and indigestible parts of their food, as the 

 stones of fruit and the bones of small fish which they some- 

 times eat. 



The Northern Raven has been separated lately from the 

 " Mexican " race (for which latter the name of siniiattts has been 

 retained); and the distribution of the Mexican bird is given 

 as from the Rocky Mountains westward. The northern form 



