BI UU3. 151 



ideas of them. The raven is the largest of the three, and dis- 

 tinguished from the rest not only by his size, but by his hill 

 being somewhat more hooked than that of the rest. As for the 

 carrion-crow and the rook, they so strongly resemble each other 

 both in make and size, that they are not easily distinguished 

 asunder. The chief difference to be found between them lies 

 in the bill of the rook ; which, by being frequently thrust into 

 the ground to fetch out grubs and earth-worms, is bare of fea- 

 thers as far as the eyes, and appears of a whitish colour. I 

 differs also in the purple splendour or gloss of its feathers, 

 which in the carrion-crow are of a dirty black. Nor is it amiss 

 to make these distinctions, as the rook has but too frequently 

 suffered for its similitude to the carrion-crow ; and thus a harm- 

 less bird, that feeds only upon insects and corn, has been de- 

 stroyed for another that feeds upon carrion, and is often destruc- 

 tive among young poultry. 



The manners of the raven and the carrion-crow are exactly 

 similar ; they both feed upon carrion ; they fly only in j)airs ; 

 and will destroy other birds, if they can take them by surprise. 

 But it is very different with the rook, the daw, and the Cornish 

 chough, which may be all ranked in this order. They are so- 

 ciable and harmless ; they live only upon insects and grain ; 

 and wherever they are, instead of injuring other birds, they 

 seem sentinels for the whole feathered creation. It will be 

 proper, therefore, to describe these two sorts according to their 

 respective appetites, as they have nothing in common but the 

 very strong similitude they bear to each other in their colour 

 and formation. 



The raven is a bird found in every region of the world ; strong 

 and hardy, he is uninfluenced by the changes of the weather ; 

 and when other birds seem numbed with cold, or pining with 

 famine, the raven is active and healthy, busily employed in 

 prowling for prey, or sporting in the coldest atmosphere. As 

 the heats at the line do not oppress him, so he bears the cold 

 of the polar countries with equal indifltrence. He is sometimes 

 indeed seen milk white ; and this may probably be the efl!"ect 

 of the rigorous climates of the north. It is most likely that 

 this change is wrought upon him as upon most other animals 

 in that part of the world, where their robes, particularly in 

 winter, assume the colour of the country they inhabit. As in 



