136 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



streams, and white cottages with cattle grazing 

 near, while the homeward-bound shepherd was seen 

 with his dogs. Little things in themselves, yet the 

 whole sufficing to make up a picture of rural beauty 

 not to be forgotten. 



Not a great many years ago ravens used to breed 

 in our inland counties. The tree still stands in which 

 the last pair bred in Middlesex. Still these birds are 

 not altogether confined to the wildest parts of our 

 coasts, for in one or two well-protected inland spots 

 they still build and lay. It was in one of these 

 inland breeding haunts that I saw and studied the 

 habits of these outlaws of the air. I call them out- 

 laws because they have been driven from most of 

 our English counties by powder and shot, through 

 an erroneous idea that our raven kills and takes 

 lambs and other small animals. In this respect, 

 however, the raven is not such a confirmed robber 

 as the carrion crow. In counties in which I found 

 the former breeding, there were extensive sheep 

 farms. I have it on the authority of shepherds and 

 keepers that the raven seldom, if ever, touched the 

 live lambs, while the carrion crow was a much worse 

 offender, for he was often seen threatening or attack- 

 ing them. Civilisation has also had much to do with 

 driving the raven from England. 



At last we reached the hills, and I cannot describe 

 their wild grandeur. Over one great rock six buzzards 



