THE RAVEN. 139 



other, living the whole year round in pairs. It 

 is asserted, that the same pairs remain together 

 for years, and probably for the whole of their 

 lives. They build a very capacious nest, and 

 in it the female deposits, about March, five or 

 six pale blueish and greenish eggs, lined and 

 spotted with a neutral tint. In twenty days the 

 young ones are hatched, and are ready to fly about 

 May. As long as they are not fully able to pro- 

 cure their own food, the parent birds continue to 

 bring them a daily supply. Long after they are 

 able to fly, the nest continues to be their place of 

 refuge and of rest : here the whole of the dark- 

 plumed family assemble in the evening, and pass 

 the night together ; this they do till quite the 

 end of the summer, which has led some persons 

 to entertain the erroneous idea that they rear two 

 broods in a season. 



When they are at length considered able to 

 provide for themselves, the old birds drive them 

 from the nest, to seek their fortunes elsewhere. 

 Unenlightened and superstitious people look on 

 the raven as a bird of ill omen, giving warning of 

 approaching evil by its sullen croak. 



" The raven ominous, (as Gentiles hold,) 

 What time she croaketh hoarsely a la tnorte." 



Its love of solitude, and the habit it has of fre- 

 quenting lonely, deserted ruins, has added to the 



