SKIRMISH. 153 



time an incessant chattering, each bird shifting 

 his position rapidly from bough to bough, while 

 the raven, who held some food in his beak, satis- 

 fied himself on this occasion with two or three 

 swoops into the terrified crowd, and having routed 

 the mob he approached the tree in which his nest 

 was placed. 



Before arriving there, however, he evidently 

 became aware of my presence, and dropping his 

 prey, which proved to be a rat, he ascended into 

 the air to a great height, in circular gyrations, 

 after the manner of a falcon, where he was soon 

 joined by his consort, and the two birds continued 

 to soar above my head while I remained there, 

 uttering not only their usual hoarse croak, but 

 also an extraordinary sound resembling the ex- 

 clamation "Oh ["loudly and clearly ejaculated. 

 At first I could scarcely persuade myself that it 

 proceeded from the throat of either of the ravens, 

 but my doubts were soon dispelled, for there was 

 no human being within sight, and after carefully 

 examining one of the birds for some time with my 

 glass, I observed that each note was preceded by 

 an opening of the beak, the distance, of course, 

 preventing sight and sound from being exactly 

 simultaneous. 



In the following year the beech grove was de- 

 serted for the fir clump. I shall never forget my 



H5 



