226 TWO YOUNG NATURALISTS. 



shower of crumbs and scraps. Jacob, who never in 

 his bird's memory recollected such a feast, came and 

 picked them up without fear, even at the feet of the 

 visitors. Then, when his appetite was satisfied, he 

 hopped familiarly on to the shoulder of his master. 



" He is a foundling," said this latter. " It was 

 during some most fearful weather that I discovered 

 Jacob in the forest. A gale had dislodged him from 

 the nest ; he was half- frozen, and three-parts drowned 

 by the rain quite moribund, in fact. Instinctively I 

 picked him up, without intending to keep him, possi- 

 bly thinking he might have a more gentle death. 

 When I reached home I placed him near the fire in a 

 blanket. 



"' You would have done better to have left him 

 where he was,' my wife said to me, 'for he was past 

 suffering.' 



" And indeed I thought I was only prolonging his 

 agony. The next morning, to my great surprise, he 

 still lived. c Suppose he should recover ! ' said I, 

 still without believing it. 



"He did, however, recover; and in spite of our 

 predictions I believe the rascal is now likely to out- 

 live us all." 



"And how did you teach him?" asked Bene. 

 " Until now I have not seen any talking ravens 

 except in the fables of La Fontaine." 



' His learning was done almost entirely by him- 



