THE RAVEN. 



( Corvus Corax. ) 



THIS handsome and truly interest 

 ing bird is found in nearly all 

 portions of the globe wherever 

 there are wide expanses of un- 

 :ultivated ground. It is a solitary bird, 

 iving in the wildest places it can find, 

 specially preferring those that are in- 

 ersected with hills. In such localities 

 t is said the raven reigns supreme, 

 'scarcely the eagle himself daring to 

 :ontest the supremacy with so power- 

 ul, crafty, and strong-beaked a bird." 

 The raven lives almost entirely on 

 ood of an animal nature, and there are 

 ew living things which it will not eat 

 vhen the opportunity is given it. 

 Norms, grubs, caterpillars, and insects 

 >f all kinds are swallowed by hundreds, 

 hough carrion is its chief diet. Its 

 rings are large and powerful, and 

 ts daily range of flight is so extensive 

 hat many hundreds of objects pass 

 mder its ken, and it is tolerably sure, 

 n the course of the day, to find at least 

 >ne dead sheep or lamb. So strongly 

 s the desire for attacking wounded or 

 lying animals implanted in the breast 

 >f the raven, that, according to Mudie, 

 he best method of attracting one of 

 hese birds within gunshot is to lie on 

 he back on some exposed part of a hill 

 vith the gun concealed and close at 

 land. It is needful to remain per- 

 actly quiet, because if there is the 

 lightest sign of life the raven will not 

 ipproach, for, as Mudie rather quaintly 

 >bserves, "he is shy of man and of all 

 arge animals in nature; because, though 

 'lad to find others carrion, or to make 

 :arrion of them if he can do it with im- 

 )unity, he takes good care that none 

 hall make carrion of him." It is need- 

 ul to watch carefully, and not to be 

 )vercome by sleep, as the first intima- 

 ion of the raven's approach would to a 

 :ertainty be the loss of an eye. 



The tongue of the raven is rather 

 :uriously formed, being broad, flat, 

 :overed with a horny kind of shield, 

 md deeply cleft at the extremity. At 

 he root are four rather large projec- 

 :ions or spines, the points being directed 



backward. The use of the spines is not 

 known. 



The cunning of the raven is prover 

 bial, and many anecdotes are told of 

 its intellectual powers. Charles Dick 

 ens in "Barnaby Rudge" has made of 

 it an interesting character, which is by 

 no means overdrawn. From the mass 

 of these stories we will select one which 

 is not generally known: 



"One of these birds struck up a great 

 friendship for a terrier belonging to 

 the landlord of an inn, and carried his 

 friendship so far as to accompany his 

 ally in little hunting-expeditions. In 

 these affairs the two comrades used to 

 kill an astonishing number of hares, 

 rabbits, and other game, each taking 

 his own share of the work. As soon 

 as they came to a covert, the raven 

 would station himself outside, while 

 the dog would enter the covert and 

 drive out the hares from their conceal 

 ment, taking care to send them in the 

 direction of the watchful bird. On his 

 part the raven always posted himself 

 close to one of the outlets, and as soon 

 as any living creature passed within 

 reach, he would pounce upon it, and 

 either destroy it at once or wait until 

 the dog came to his assistance, when 

 by their united efforts the prey was 

 soon killed. Rat-hunting was a favor 

 ite sport of these strange allies, and it 

 was said by those who witnessed their 

 proceedings that the raven was even 

 more useful than a ferret would have 

 been." 



Captain McClure, the Arctic voy 

 ager, says that the raven is the hardiest 

 of the feathered tribe, and even in the 

 depths of winter, when wine freezes 

 within a yard of the fire, the bird may 

 be seen winging his way through the 

 icy atmosphere, and uttering his strange, 

 rough, croaking cry, as unconcernedly 

 as if the weather were soft and warm as 

 springtime. 



In captivity the raven is an exceed 

 ingly amusing, although mischievous 

 creature, and displays a talent for the 

 invention of mischief which is only 



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