RAVEN. 535 



you from some decaying carcass. To my own observation the Raven is a 

 bird very early astir in the morning ; and I have heard his unmistakable 

 croak long after darkness had wrapped the hills in gloom, and caught a 

 hurried glimpse of his sable form as he slowly flapped along to his retreat 

 amongst the hills." 



The Raven, from its predaceous habits, is a bird hunted down without 

 mercy by the gamekeeper and the shepherd ; and, in fact, in some places 

 taxes have been imposed for its destruction, as, for instance, in the Faroe 

 Islands. It is omnivorous, and will take almost every thing in its power. 

 Like the Hawks, it catches small birds and quadrupeds, kills a weakly lamb 

 or fawn, and carries off the eggs of poultry and game should it happen to 

 discover them ; and it will never refuse to make a meal on carrion of 

 any kind. Most animal substances are eaten every creature which the 

 sea casts up on the beach, from a dead whale to a mollusk ; and it may 

 sometimes be seen searching the pastures for moles, worms, and even 

 insects. In autumn the Raven will also feed largely on grain, a habit 

 noticeable in several other of its congeners. The Raven congregates in 

 flocks not because the bird is at all sociable or gregarious in its dis- 

 position, but from a common impulse to congregate where food is abun- 

 dant. Macgillivray mentions a flock of Ravens that congregated on 

 one of the islands in the sound of Harris, to feed upon a large herd of 

 grampuses that had been driven on shore; whilst on another occasion, 

 where a whale had been stranded, the birds flocked in numbers to the 

 feast. In Finmark I have generally seen it in flocks, even during the 

 breeding-season. According to Bogdanow, the Raven in Kazan will some- 

 times feed on fish; and that naturalist states that he has often watched the 

 bird fishing and also capturing frogs. It will also eat fruit in the season. 



The Raven's breeding-season, in many instances, is said to commence 

 early in January. By the latter end of that month or early in February 

 the old birds may be noticed patching up their nest to which they re- 

 turn yearly, for they undoubtedly pair for life. The eggs, however, are 

 seldom laid before March. The nesting-site varies according to the 

 locality which the birds frequent. In some districts a lofty tree is selected ; 

 arid this was probably the bird's favourite choice when it was commoner 

 in England; but now the incessant persecution to which it is subject 

 almost everywhere drives it to the remoter wilds of Scotland and the 

 cliffs which skirt the ocean. In the province of Kazan Bogdanow states 

 that the Raven breeds in towns on the towers and the roofs of store- 

 houses, and that in Kazan itself a pair of birds breed annually on one of 

 the water-p^ipes of the theatre. On the sea-cliffs, especially in the west of 

 Scotland and the Hebrides, the Raven still breeds pretty frequently. 

 Dixon thus describes a nest of this bird he visited in Skye : " I had the 

 opportunity of inspecting a Raven's nest today. It was built on some 



