148 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



kestrel dropped with closed wings, as he had done 

 many a time before when catching his prey, but this 

 time he fell to the banks of the picturesque waterfall 

 at the bottom of the dingle, and when the keeper 

 went down he found that the bird's head was nearly 

 severed from its body. The raven had probably 

 struck his foe with one of his great wings, and to 

 judge by his contented calls as he returned to the 

 nest, this outlaw of the air felt well satisfied with his 

 victory. 



The raven's calls and notes are almost a kind of 

 language. Those who have lived among them, 

 and who are observant, are sometimes able to tell 

 whether it is the cock or hen which calls, and their 

 many different notes uttered by either bird can in 

 some measure be understood. When the nest con- 

 tains young is perhaps the best time to hear the 

 raven's language. If a person then goes too near, 

 some of the bolder birds will threaten to attack them, 

 and in their anger will perch on a tree, and call 

 defiantly, and tear and snap off twigs and small 

 branches, but showing at the same time, to those 

 who can understand a bird's manners and language, 

 anxiety and love for the precious fledgelings. 



If a sheep should fall sick and die, or, as is more 

 often the case, should slip down the rocks and get 

 killed, ravens are the first to discover the mishap, 

 and with gluttonous haste they will tear out favourite 



