232 RAVENS. 



where it was allowed to remain, and where it still 

 lives. 



A writer in the Naturalist's Magazine says, that 

 he remembers, ahout fourteen years ago, seeing on 

 a post near the Elephant and Castle inn, at which 

 such a multitude of coaches stop, an inscription on 

 " Ralph," a Raven of great celebrity, who had been 

 in his days a distinguished member of the Elephant 

 and Castle establishment. Those who recollected 

 him gave several instances of his sagacity, amongst 

 others, that of his knowledge of, and intimacy with, 

 several of the coachmen ; with his particular favour- 

 ites and friends, he would frequently take short 

 jaunts out on the coach top, until he met some 

 other coach, whose driver he also knew, passing in a 

 homeward direction, when he would immediately 

 change coaches and return. 



A still more curious anecdote of attachment and 

 observation in Ravens, we have given in our weekly 

 Periodical, the Saturday Magazine, which, from its 

 application to the subject before us, we here repeat. 

 It occurred many years ago, at the Red Lion inn, 

 Hungerford; a gentleman who lodged there, thus 

 tells the story : " Coming into the inn-yard," says 

 he, " my chaise ran over and bruised the leg of a 

 favourite Newfoundland dog, and while we were 

 examining the injury, Ralph, the Raven, looked on 

 also, and was evidently making his remarks on what 

 was doing; for, the minute my dog was tied up 

 under the manger, with my horse, Ralph not only 

 visited him, but brought him bones, and attended 

 him with particular marks of kindness. I observed 

 it to the ostler, who told me that the bird had been 



