86 GAME PRESERVERS AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



of satisfaction, in spite of the exertions of three 

 people to save it. Ko one who saw the action 

 could doubt that young birds are the raven's 

 natiu-al food, and from that moment we put 

 ' Corvus Corax ' on our condemned list, and 

 there he shall remain. 



For we pictured to ourselves the innumer- 

 able tragedies which must be going on where 

 these birds exist — the happy famihes of young 

 and old grouse enjoying the spring sunshine 

 and the tender shoots of the heather — the 

 sudden descent of the sable crew — the screams 

 and helpless terror of the old birds, the 

 feeble efforts of the Httle ones to escape, all 

 unavaihng, only one under an old heather 

 stump managing to hide so that those keen 

 eyes cannot find him. And when some 

 months later the sportsmen walk up to the 

 beautiful setters which have suddenly dropped 

 motionless, only quivering a Httle with excite- 

 ment, it will be three grouse, not ten, that will 

 rise before them. Should anyone say, how- 



