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78 



THE RAVEN. 



and various evolutions in the air. When divination formed a 

 portion of the popular belief in Europe, this bird was held in 

 considerable repute. Trouble was even taken to study its 

 actions and all the circumstances attending its flight, and the 

 various modulations of its voice. Of these, sixty-four diiferent 

 variations were enumerated, without including the more deli- 

 cate intonations, exceedingly difficult to distinguish, to detect 

 which, however, an excessively fine ear was requisite, as its 

 cry, crock and cruel; is so simple! Every distinct change had 

 its peculiar signification, and there were not wanting people 



THE RAV 



who studied to acquire this knowledge, while others carried 

 their folly so far as to believe that, by eating the heart and 

 viscera of this bird, they could acquire its prophetic powers. 



The raven maj' be said to possess a social disposition ; for, 

 after the breeding season has passed, flocks are often seen in 

 the northern parts of Europe and the adjacent islands, amount- 

 ing to one or more hundreds. These birds can perceive an 

 object, as a dead carcass, at a great distance, but that they can 

 smell carrion a quarter of a mile oft', we have no satisfactory 

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