THfc RAVEN. 93' 



Habits Depredations. 



concluded, how great a quantity of game must 

 be destroyed by a single pair of these birds dur- 

 ing the time they employ in rearing their young. 

 And as the edible species of forest animals repair 

 chiefly in the evening to the fields, they are par- 

 ticularly exposed to the acute sight, smell, and 

 claws, of these nocturnal depredators. 



Some writers inform us, that when falconers 

 wish to lure the kite for the purpose of training 

 the falcon, they sometimes fasten the tail of a 

 fox to one of these owls : the animal thus disfi- 

 gured, is then let loose ; and sails slowly along, 

 flying, as he usually does very low. The unsus- 

 pecting kite, either curious to observe so odd an 

 animal, or, perhaps, inquisitive to know whether 

 it may not be eligible prey, flies after it; but on 

 Kis approaching and hovering over it, the fal- 

 coner looses a strong-winged falcon against him, 

 and immediately deprives him of his liberty. 



THE RAVEN. ; 



THE raven is a large strong-bodied bird, and 

 some have been seen which measured nearly two 

 feet from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail. 

 The whole body is black, but bears a kind of 

 bluish gloss, particularly upon the tail and wings; 

 the belly is of a paler colour, and more inclining 

 to a brown ; the beak is strong, sharp, and rathec 



