O THE RAVEN TREE. 



a little brush, without any large limbs. About twenty years 

 ago the bridge at the Toy, near Hampton Court, being much 

 decayed, some trees were wanted for the repairs that were fifty 

 feet long without bough, and would measure twelve inches 

 diameter at the little end. Twenty such trees did a purveyor 

 find in this little wood, with this advantage, that many of them 

 answered the description at sixty feet. These trees were sold 

 for twenty pounds a-piece.* 



In the centre of this grove there stood an oak, which, though 

 shapely and tall on the whole, bulged out into a large excres- 

 cence about the middle of the stem. On this a pair of ravens 

 had fixed their residence for such a series of years, that the 

 oak was distinguished by the title of the Raven Tree. Many 

 were the attempts of the neighbouring youths to get at this 

 eyry: the difficulty whetted their inclinations, and each was 

 ambitious of surmounting the arduous task. But when they 

 arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was 

 so far beyond their grasp, that the most daring lads were 

 awed, and acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. 

 So the ravens built on, nest upon nest, in perfect security, till 

 the fatal day arrived in which the wood was to be levelled. 

 It was in the month of February, when those birds usually sit. 

 The saw was applied to the but, the wedges were inserted into 

 the opening, the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the beetle, 

 or mallet, the tree nodded to its fall ; but still the dam sat on. 

 At last, when it gave way, the bird was flung from her nest ; 

 and, though her parental affection deserved a better fate, was 

 whipped down by the twigs, which brought her dead to the 

 ground.f 



* In the hall of Dudly Castle there is an oak table, seventy-five feet 

 long, and three feet broad, which grew in the park of that estate. ED. 



f During the time of incubation, the natural timidity of birds is greatly 

 lessened ; and, in many instances, the females will allow themselves to be 

 taken rather than desert their nests. The following instance, recorded by 

 William Henry Hill, Esq. of Newland, Gloucestershire, in 18*28, finely 

 illustrates this : He says, " Some time since, a pair of blue titmice (parus 

 cceruleus) built their nest in the upper part of an old pump, fixing on 

 the piti on which the handle worked. It happened that, during the time 

 of building, and laying the eggs, the pump had not been in use; when 

 again set going, the female was sitting, and it was naturally expected the 

 motion of the pump-handle would drive her away. The young brood 

 were hatched safely, however, without any other misfortune than the 

 loss of part of the tail of the sitting bird, which was rubbed off by the 

 friction of the pump-handle ; nor did they appear disturbed by the 

 visitors who were frequently looking at her." Magazine of Natural 

 History, i. p. 64. 



