WITH THE RAVENS IN WALES 41 



intrusion with barking cries as we scale the rocks. 

 We visit last year's nest, but though it contains fresh 

 material, looks by no means the real article ; and so 

 we visit another place further down the valley, where 

 on several occasions birds have been reared. It is 

 not here, however, though we notice that a few sticks 

 have been thrown together on a ledge of a rock. 

 These sticks have been moved but a few yards from 

 another adjacent ledge, and are the relics of some 

 past season, for some are bleached with age. In spite 

 of our ill-luck, we feel that there is a nest somewhere 

 in the valley, and determine on some future occasion 

 to investigate the matter more fully, with what result 

 will be seen further on. Continuing our way, we 

 breast the ascent at the bottom of the valley, following 

 the rough and tortuous path cut in the hillside, till 

 we reach the open moorland. Here we notice a few 

 Meadow Pipits and Larks, and a pair of Ravens fly 

 across the waste at a great height, on their way to 

 some favourite feeding grounds perhaps ; but at 

 length, after another two miles, we reach a second 

 customary haunt of the Raven. The nest is, how- 

 ever, still to seek ; and we notice that the tree behind 

 which it is usually built is blown down, so our dusky 

 friends have evidently chosen safer quarters. 



At this identical spot two springs ago some cruel 

 and wanton churl took the five young Ravens from 

 their retreat and actually hanged them in a row on 

 some wire in the valley beneath, and last year the 

 nest was robbed when it contained eggs. 



Descending the cliff" carefully, we again reach a 

 valley, and following the course of the river, reach a 



