RAVENS. 233 



brought up with a dog, and that the affection between 

 them was mutual, and all the neighbourhood had 

 been witnesses of the many acts of kindness per- 

 formed by the one to the other. Ralph's friend, the 

 dog, in course of time, had the misfortune to break 

 his leg, and during the long period of his confine- 

 ment, the Raven waited on him constantly, carried 

 him his provisions, and scarcely ever left him alone. 

 One night, by accident, the stable door had been 

 shut, and Ralph had been deprived of his friend's 

 company all night; but the ostler found, in the 

 morning, the door so pecked away, that had it not 

 been opened, in another hour, Ralph would have 

 made his own entrance. The landlord not only con- 

 firmed the ostler's account, but mentioned many 

 other acts of kindness, shown by this bird to all dogs 

 in general, but more particularly to maimed or 

 wounded ones." 



But, however attentive they may be to dogs, as in 

 this case, or to men, as in the preceding one, the fol- 

 lowing instance of shrewd cunning shows that they 

 are ready enough, when it suits their interest, to trick 

 each other. At the Zoological Gardens, in the Regent's 

 Park, London, two Ravens were kept in one large cage 

 or pen : a visiter, passing by, threw them two pieces of 

 bun, when one of them immediately jumped from 

 his perch, and before his comrade could reach 

 either of them, he had both secure in his beak, and 

 had regained his former position on the perch, 

 holding them until he saw his comrade at the fur- 

 ther end of the cage : he then flew down, buried one 

 of the pieces, which he carefully covered with gravel, 

 and jumping back to his perch with the other piece. 



