RAVEN, CROW, MAGPIE, JAY, AND ROOK. 85 



about the time wlien most of the grouse are 

 hatchino^. It has a most cruel habit of attacking 

 the eyes of any weakly sheep or lambs. It is 

 not uncommon to find these poor creatures 

 alive on the hills with their eyes pecked out. 

 One we reared always attacked the eyes of any 

 rat or other dead animal directly it was thrown 

 to it, and it would swallow addled pheasants' 

 eggs whole one after the other. A dh'tier or 

 greedier pet we never saw, with nothing to 

 recommend it but an odd way of hopping side- 

 ways, and a curious trick of hiding its food. 

 If it does this in a state of nature, it must be 

 on the same principle that we hang venison 

 until it is high enough to eat. 



When it had been out of the basket but a 

 few days, as it was hopping along in the garden, 

 a young hedge-sparrow fluttered up out of the 

 grass. The raven was after it in a moment. JSTo 

 well-bred young terrier ever charged his first 

 rat in better style. The unfortunate httle bird 

 was caught and swallowed whole, with a croak 



