257 



(lavs fai'inei's who resided in the vicinage of virgin 

 timbered areas in the mountainous districts suffered 

 co'nsiderably from the spying, argus-eyed Ravens 

 which seemed ever on the alert to pounce down from 

 some carefully cho-sen hiding place and rob the turkey 

 or the chicken of her eggs or brood. Then if the parent' 

 sheep did not keep a very close guard over their young 

 offspring the omnivorous and flesh-loving Ravens 

 would attack and kill them; they also, it is affirmed, 

 wei'c known to pounce upon, in at least two instances, 

 within the recollection of aged mountaineers, calves, 

 but a few daya old; and on another occasion, one of 

 my informants states that a band of hungry nomadic 

 Ravens attempted to make a meal of an old sow's 

 litter of pigs that were only a few days old, and so 

 persistent were their onslaughts that the owner of 

 the pigs was compelled to shoot two of the Ravens be- 

 fore they would leave the place. 



WOULD ATTACK THE DEER. 



Deer enfeebled by old age or reduced from disease, 

 and also when wounded by human huntsmen. 

 Panthers, Wolves, Wild-cats or other predatory ani- 

 mals which possessed sufficient courage and prowess 

 to attack them, were beset at times by Ravens which 

 would peck out their eyes and other soft parts, par- 

 ticularly portions of the poor deer's anatomy that had 

 been opened by a bullet or lacerated with teeth or 

 claws of some cruel carnivorous beast. 



These observations showing the fierce and sangui- 

 nary nature of Ravens which, with labored but quick 

 flight, and loud harsh cries, over a quarter of a century 

 ago, are reputed to have brought so much misery Into 



i7--n 



