THE PIE KIND. 1?9 



that part of the world, where their robes, parti- 

 cularly in winter, assume the colour of the coun- 

 try which they inhabit. As in old age, when 

 the natural heat decays, the hair grows grey, and 

 at last white, so among these animals the cold of 

 the climate may produce a similar fenguishment 

 of colour, and may shut up those pores that con- 

 veyed the tincturing fluids to the extremest parts 

 of the body. 



However this may be, white ravens are often 

 shown among us, which I have heard some say 

 are rendered thus by art; and this we could 

 readily suppose if they were as easily changed in 

 their colour as they are altered in their habits and 

 dispositions. A raven may be reclaimed to almost 

 every purpose to which birds can be converted. 

 He may be trained up for fowling like a hawk ; 

 he may be taught to fetch and carry like a 

 spaniel ; he may be taught to speak like a parrot ; 

 but the most extraordinary of all is, that he can 

 be taught to sing like a man. I have heard a 

 raven sing the Black Joke with great distinctness, 

 truth, and humour. 



Indeed, when the raven is taken as a domestic, 

 he has many qualities that render him extremely 

 amusing. Busy, inquisitive, and impudent, he 

 goes every-where, affronts and drives off the 

 dogs, plays his pranks on the poultry, and is 

 particularly assiduous in cultivating the good- 

 will of the cook-maid, who seems to be the fa- 

 vourite of the family. But then, with the 

 amusing qualities of a favourite, he often also 

 has the vices and defects. He is a glutton by 



