THE KAVEN. 37 



Mode of Taking. — As soon as this bird arrives in May, the bushes on 

 which it most frequently perches must be observed ; these are very few, 

 and on them the lime twigs must be placed ; it is often entrapped within a 

 quarter of an hour. Success is more certain if a beetle, maybug, or 

 breeze-fly, be fastened near the lime twigs with horse hair, by two feet, so 

 that it can move its wings. As soon as the bird is stuck in the bird-lime 

 it is necessary when taking it to avoid its beak, as it pecks very hard. 



Attractive Qualities. — This bird does not rank low among the singers ; 

 its song is not only very pleasing but continual. While singing, it is 

 generally perched on a lonely bush, or on the lower branches of a tree, but 

 always near its nest. Its warbling is composed of the songs of the swallow, 

 goldfinch, fauvette, nightingale, redbreast, and lark, with which, indeed, it 

 mixes here and there some of its own harsh notes. It almost exclusively 

 imitates the birds in its immediate neighbourhood ; it very rarely repeats 

 the song or call of those which merely fly past it ; when it does, it seems 

 only in mockery. There are, however, some songs which it cannot 

 imitate : for instance, that of the chaffinch and yellow-hammer, its throat 

 not seeming to be suflBciently flexible for these. In the house, its song is 

 composed of the warbling of those birds whose cages are hung near it. It 

 is very lively, and its plumage is handsome. 



If a room is to be cleared of flies, one of these birds set at liberty in it 

 will soon eff"ect it ; it catches them flying with great skill and agility. 

 When a thorny branch is given it, it impales all its flies, making at the 

 same time the drollest and most singular movements. This species easily 

 and quickly learns to whistle airs, but it forgets them wth the same 

 facility, in order to learn new ones. 



THE RAVEN. 



Corvus Coras, Linn^ds ; Le Corbeau, Buffon ; Der Kolkrabe, Bechstein. 



This and the three following species ought not to be reckoned 

 among house birds ; but as they are easily taught to speak, and 

 are often reared for that purpose, I must not neglect to mention 

 them here. 



The raven is well known. Its length is two feet, of which 

 the tail measures eiglit inches and three quarters. The colour, 



