CH. VIII.] RAVEN CAT BARN OWL KESTREL. 247 



it better. Ravens are not at all numerous in the 

 Isle of Wight, although they enjoy there very 

 generally the advantages accruing from the super- 

 stitious respect with which they are so commonly 

 regarded, as but few of the lower orders would 

 be found bold enough to kill one. The tame one 

 that I have mentioned, when he made his escape, 

 commenced his peregrinations by getting on 

 the porch of a cottage, and nearly frightened 

 the inmates out of their wits by croaking in at 

 the windows. 



Probably there is no kind of vermin more de- 

 structive to game than the Cat, but fortunately 

 also there is perhaps none which is more easily 

 trapped. An instance has been mentioned to me 

 where a large, long-neglected covert having been 

 taken in hand for game, the keeper, a knowing 

 hand, commenced operations by leading a drag of 

 rabbit's entrails from several points in the sides 

 of the covert to a central tree in it. From a 

 branch of this he suspended the drag, setting a 

 number of gins all round it, and was next morn- 

 ing rewarded by finding them tenanted by a re- 

 gular flock of cats. 



Opinions little favourable to the common Barn 

 Owl and Kestrel are not unfrequently expressed 



