THE RAVEN. 269 



are now so changed for the worse, that I despair of 

 ever seeing again this fine British bird in any of our 

 woods. 



He who wishes to study the habits of the raven 

 in its own native haunts must not look for him here. 

 He must bend his steps to those parts of Yorkshire 

 where the bird is still allowed to exist. 



There is a brood of ravens every season on the 

 rocks near Flamborough Head; and, no doubt, others 

 are to be found, at certain intervals, along the vast 

 extent of that bold and rock-bound shore. The 

 nest is chiefly made of the same materials as that of 

 the carrion crow, with the addition of a few dried 

 weeds which grow on the coast. I have never 

 taken the eggs ; but if I may judge from one in my 

 possession, the egg is remarkably small for the size 

 of the bird ; and in colour, it bears a close resem- 

 blance to the egg of the carrion crow. The young, 

 like those of all the pie tribe, are hatched blind. 

 On leaving the nest, their feathers have a brownish 

 cast ; but after the first moulting, the birds acquire 

 that glossy richness of plumage which is so conspi- 

 cuous in the raven. 



Though the naturalist will feel but little interest 

 in the habits of a bird which is brought up as a pet, 

 under the immediate inspection of man ; still I can- 

 not help remarking here, that of all known birds 

 (the grey red-tailed parrot of Africa not excepted) 

 there is none to be found so docile, so clever, and so 

 amusing, as the raven. I bought a young one, about 

 three years ago, at the well-known village of Flam- 

 borough, and I called it Marco. Marco could do 



