180 HISTORY OF 



nature, and a thief by habit. He does not con- 

 fine himself to petty depredations on the pantry 

 or the larder ; he soars at more magnificent plun- 

 der, at spoils that he can neither exhibit nor en- 

 joy, but which, like a miser, he rests satisfied with 

 having the satisfaction of sometimes visiting and 

 contemplating in secret. A piece of money, a 

 tea-spoon, or a ring, are always tempting baits 

 to his avarice ; these he will slily seize upon, 

 and if not watched, will carry to his favourite 

 hole. 



In his wild state the raven is an active and 

 greedy plunderer. Nothing comes amiss to him ; 

 whether his prey be living or long dead, it is all 

 the same, he falls to with a voracious appetite ; 

 and when he has gorged himself, flies to acquaint 

 his fellows, that they may participate of the 

 spoil. If the carcass be already in the possession 

 of some more powerful animal, a wolf, a fox, or 

 a dog, the raven sits at a little distance, content 

 to continue a humble spectator till they have 

 done. If in his flights he perceives no hopes of 

 carrion, (and his scent is so exquisite that he 

 can smell it at a vast distance), he then contents 

 himself with more unsavoury food, fruits, insects, 

 and the accidental desert of a dunghill. 



This bird chiefly builds its nest in trees, and 

 lays five or six eggs of a pale green colour, 

 marked with small brownish spots. They live 

 sometimes in pairs, and sometimes they frequent 

 in great numbers the neighbourhood of populous 

 cities, where they are useful in devouring those 

 carcasses that would otherwise putrefy and infect 



