206 Wild Life in Wales 



despite the fact that some of the birds which he himself 

 has killed, are undoubtedly last year's young ones, while he 

 knows well enough that some young ones breed in their 

 first year. Whatever the solution of the problem may be, 

 however, the fact remains, and it is doubtless from some 

 of these long-used, and well - known resorts, that new 

 partners are obtained, at short notice, by birds of either 

 sex, who have been so unfortunate as to lose their mates 

 in the throng of family cares. But whether a wife, or 

 husband, is lent, or merely a foster parent engaged for the 

 time being, or how otherwise the matter is capable of 

 arrangement, is not so clear, since, as just stated, all these 

 non-breeding birds are habitually seen in pairs. 



Corby is a very ancient name of the Raven, still in almost 

 universal use over a large portion of the north of England, 

 and in Scotland, and not now altogether unknown in 

 Merionethshire owing to the importation of so many 

 gamekeepers from the north. From the greater part of 

 the country the Raven has, of course, long since been 

 banished ; and both its place and name have in many in- 

 stances been usurped by the " Corby Crow," which being now 

 the only " Corby " known, the fact that such place-names as 

 "Corby Crags" or "Corby Rock" really owe their etymology 

 to the larger bird, is gradually slipping into oblivion. 



The true application of the term a " Corby Messenger " 

 seems to be in like danger of being lost sight of. The use 

 and origin of the phrase is somewhat obscure ; but it is most 

 generally applied to a messenger who either does not 

 return at all, or arrives too late ; and that its association, in 

 this sense, with the Raven liberated from the Ark, is at any 

 rate of respectable antiquity, is attested by more than one 

 old author. Thus, in Lindsay s Warkis^ published in 1 592, 

 we have the story fully set out, and the raven and the 

 corby messenger directly connected. 



" He send furth corby messingeir 

 Into the air for to espy 

 Gif he saw ony mountains dry. 

 Sum sayis the rauin did forth remane 

 And came not to the Ark agane." 



