TEE COMMON EAVES. 5 



and Japan. It is also spread all over North America as far as the table-lands of Mexico, occurring 

 even in the extreme north of the continent. In England the Raven is in most parts scarce, and is 

 everywhere shy and cautious, on account of the persecution to which it is subjected and the way in 

 which nests are robbed of the young for sale, partly from its predatory habits, which render it objection- 

 able to gamekeepers. 



In some parks where protection is afforded to the old birds a time-honoured pair of Ravens still 

 survive, and along the cliffs of the southern coasts of England a good many still breed. Although 



COMMON RAVEN. 



such a shy bird in many parts of its range, it exhibits in some places quite an opposite nature ; and 

 Dr. Henderson, the naturalist of the first Yarkand expedition, says that Ravens followed the camp 

 during the whole journey, and were so familiar and bold as to render it impossible to leave anything 

 eatable about which they did not attempt to steal. He writes : " Even milk-pots it would deliberately 

 upset to obtain a sup of the contents. At the greatest altitudes and through the most absolute deserts 

 at least half-a-dozen accompanied the camp, some, doubtless, of the very same birds thus travelling the 

 whole way from Le to the vicinity of the city of Yarkand ; when the camp divided, about half the 

 Ravens went with each party. On first starting in the morning they always accompanied the party 

 to a short distance, and then they returned to the old camping-ground, apparently to make sure that 

 nothing eatable had been left behind, and there they might be seen prowling about wisely for an hour 

 or so, again joining the party in the afternoon at the new camp." Veiy much the same account is 

 given of the Raven's habits in America, where ID. some parts of the country it is suspicious and wary, 

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