26 BIEDS IN LONDON 



successfully reared by the keeper ; and the 

 story of this raven was long afterwards related 

 by Jesse. He was allowed the fullest liberty, 

 and as he passed a good deal of his time in the 

 vicinity of the Row, he came to be very well 

 known to all those who were accustomed to 

 walk in Hyde Park at that time. He was fond 

 of the society of the men then engaged in the 

 construction of Rennie's bridge over the Serpen- 

 tine, and the workmen made a pet of him. His 

 favourite amusement was to sidle cunningly up 

 to some passer-by or idler, and, watching his 

 chance, give him or her a sharp dig on the 

 ankle with his beak. One day a fashionably 

 dressed lady was walking near the bridge, when 

 all at once catching sight of the bird at her 

 feet, on feeling its sharp beak prodding her heel, 

 she screamed and gave a great start, and in 

 starting dropped a valuable gold bracelet from 

 her wrist. No sooner did the jewel touch the 

 ground than the raven snatched it up in his 

 beak and flew away with it into Kensington 

 Gardens, where it was searched for, but never 

 found. It was believed that he made use of 

 one of the hollow trees in the gardens as a 

 hiding place for plunder of this kind. At length 



