150 THE RAVEN 



kingfisher I have known to build in its marlpits two 

 miles from running water ; while small birds which 

 are not common in other parts of England, except 

 in specially favoured spots, such as the wood wren, 

 the redstart, and the hawfinch, are not uncommon 

 there. All that seemed requisite to crown its sylvan 

 glories was a raven and a raven's nest. Vague 

 rumours, indeed, had reached me that a stray raven 

 had occasionally been heard or seen within the 

 forest ; but, in all my wanderings hitherto, I had 

 seen or heard nothing of it myself. I started, on a 

 somewhat forlorn hope, with my friend, now Sir 

 Robert Collins, on the i ith of March 1859 ; and as we 

 neared a clump of splendid silver firs towards the far 

 end of the forest, beyond the reach of the ordinary 

 bird's-nester, we heard the croak of a raven, saw it 

 flying, and found its nest. It contained five eggs, 

 which, in due time, were safely hatched. For how 

 many years before this the ravens had been building 

 there, and how many years afterwards they con- 

 tinued to do so, I know not. I only know that they 

 are not there now. 



The next nest was in quite a different, but in an 

 equally ideal place, near my own home at West 

 Stafford. It was in a wood of old Scotch firs on 

 Knighton Heath, the same of which I spoke, in the 



