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. ' 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 Rene. 

 "Until now I have not seen any talking ravens 

 except in the fables of La Fontaine." 



' His learning was done almost entirely by him- 



