THE EAYE^T. 75 



upper part of the body with violet ; on the lower part, on the 

 pen feathers, and on the tail, with green ; the black of the 

 throat is somewhat paler. 



Of all Corvine birds, which are distinguished by a high, 

 round, knife-shaped beak, provided at the base with bristles 

 which incline forward, the Raven, on account of its broad 

 tongue, may with least difficulty be taught to speak. In Thu- 

 ringia, the traveller, on entering an inn, is frequently saluted 

 by the appellations, "thief, rascal," uttered by one of these birds, 

 confined, probably, in a large cage like a tower. They may 

 also be allowed to run at large, or even to fly about, when they 

 have been tamed while young, as is necessary if they are to be 

 taught to speak. In this case they will, when called to their 

 meals, answer to a name. All shining metal, especially gold, 

 must be put out of their way ; as, like other birds of the 

 same species, they have a particular inclination to steal. It 

 is said, that a Eaven was trained to salute Augustus after a vic- 

 tory, with the words Ave Ccesar, Victor, Imperator ! Hail Caesar, 

 Conqueror, Emperor! 



Some persons, with a view to facilitate the utterance of 

 articulate sounds, are accustomed to cut what is called the 

 string of the tongue, an operation which certainly attains its 

 end in some measure, though I have heard Eavens speak, on 

 which it had not been performed. 



At the time when divination made a part of religion, this 

 bird was held in great estimation. All its actions, every cir- 

 cumstance of its flight, every modulation of its voice, were 

 carefully studied. Of these modulations no fewer than sixty- 

 four have been enumerated, without reckoning minor shades 

 of difference, a discrimination which must have required an 

 exceedingly fine ear, as the Eaven' s cry Koack, kroack is ap- 

 parently very simple. Every modulation had its specific sig- 

 nification, and there was no lack of impostors to profess, or of 

 dupes to believe, these ridiculous fancies. Some, indeed, pro- 

 ceeded to so great a pitch of credulity, as to eat the heart and 

 entrails of the Eaven, in hopes of thereby acquiring its pro- 

 phetic faculty. 



The Eaven is generally met with in woody districts, and builds 

 its nest on the highest trees ; it lays from three to five dirty green 

 eggs, spotted with olive brown. The young, if to be tamed, 

 must be taken when half fledged, or about twelve days old, and 



