RAVENS. 179 



looking into the state of their nursery-tenement, usually con- 

 structed on the upper and most inaccessible branching fork of 

 some high tree, where they have been known to build beyond 

 the memory of the most ancient chronicler of the parish. 

 Probably most of our readers have, if not within their own 

 precincts, at least within their knowledge, a venerable establish- 

 ment of this description. Ours is a noble beech, about ninety 

 feet in height, in the centre of a beautiful wood, — from time 

 immemorial called the Raven-tree. At one extremity of this 

 wood, a noisy troop of Jackdaws have long been accustomed 

 to rear their progeny unmolested, provided they venture not 

 too near the sacred tree of the Ravens, — in which case, one 01 

 other of the old birds dashes upon the intruder, and the wood 

 is in an uproar, till the incautious bird is driven off. Few 

 have dared to scale the height of this famed tree ; but the 

 names of one or two individuals are on record, who have 

 accomplished the perilous undertaking, and carried off the 

 contents of the nest. 



Some years ago the wife of a neighbouring farmer made 

 such loud complaints, on the diminution of a fine brood of 

 young Turkeys, which occasionally wandered from her farm- 

 yard into some fields adjacent to the wood, that one of the 

 old ones was shot ; it proved to be the female, whose young 

 ones had unfortunately been hatched, and were then nearly 

 fledged. For a time, the surviving parent hovered about the 

 nest, uttering loud and menacing croakings whenever anybody 

 approached. At length, however, he disappeared, and absented 

 himself for two or three days, and then 'returned with another 

 mate ; when a strange scene occurred. The poor half-starved 

 nestlings were attacked without mercy by the stepmother ; 

 who, after severely wounding, precipitated them from the nest ; 

 two, however, were found at the foot of the tree with signs of 

 life, and with great care and attention reared at the rectory, 

 about half a mile distant, and after being slightly pinioned, 

 were allowed their liberty ; but they seldom quitted the lawn 

 or offices, roosting in a tree in the shrubbery. Here, however, 

 they were soon discovered by their unnatural parents, who, for 

 a long time, used to come at early dawn and pounce upon 



