78 EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 



the cliff s were covered with snow; and on March 5, 

 of another year he collected a full set of five fresh 

 eggs, which I afterwards examined in his collection. 

 The birds had built a nest the year before, without 

 laying. This fact, with the absence of eggs this year, 

 convinced the Collector that the birds were sterile 

 from age. During the last years of their long life, 

 which is supposed to approach a century, a pair of 

 ravens will sometimes build, with pathetic pains, 

 nest after nest which are never occupied by eggs. 

 The Collector promised to show me a set, however, 

 the next day in another nest. 



At last it was time to start down. The Collector, 

 who was waiting on his shelf, warned me that the 

 descent was more difficult than the climb which I 

 had just lived through, as it was necessary to slide 

 some six feet backwards to the shelf from which we 

 started. As I looked down the cliff -side I decided 

 to remain with the ravens. It was not until the Col- 

 lector promised most solemnly to catch me, that I 

 at last let go and found myself back on the shelf 

 with him. Then came another wonderful moment. 

 "Crrruck, crrruck, crrruck," sounded hoarsely from 

 the valley below a note like that of a deep-voiced 

 crow with a bad cold. 



"Hurry!" urged the Collector; "it's one of the old 

 birds coming back. " 



I claim to have hurried as much as any man of my 

 age could be expected to do, but by the time I had 

 reached the path the wary raven had disappeared. 

 I clambered down the cliff while the Collector re- 



