Haven. 225 



They did not, however, enjoy a very peaceful life at the best, for 

 they were oftentimes molested, and on one occasion a sweep was 

 engaged to climb the tree and secure the eggs. 



Erlestoke. Mr. George Watson Taylor says that Ravens for- 

 merly bred in a tree destroyed many years since at the lower 

 end of the lake in the park ; and though they never attempt to 

 breed there now, they return to their old haunts every 'spring. 



South Tidworth. There is a Raven-tree at Assheton Coppice 

 in Sir J. Kelk's park, now occupied, and which has flourished,, as 

 I am told, for the last century, certainly for many years; past. 

 The tree is not inaccessible to a bold climber, but as the Rev. 

 H. E. Delme' Radcliffe informs me, is happily guarded by the 

 general understanding that whoso harries the Raven or its 

 brood is sure to meet with misfortune ; a very wholesome piece 

 of superstition, which is now more firmly fixed than ever in the 

 minds of the people, inasmuch as a rash keeper, who laughed the 

 tradition to scorn and destroyed one of the Ravens, soon after 

 fell sick of a fever in which all his family were involved, and 

 some of them had a hard struggle for their lives. South 

 Tidworth is not in Wiltshire, but in Hampshire ; but as it is only 

 just across the border, and the Raven is a bird of very wide 

 excursions, I think we may fairly claim a large share in these 

 Hampshire-bred birds. 



Tangley Clump. I am informed by my friend the Rev. W. H. 

 Awdry, that there used to be a nest of Ravens every year in 

 Tangley Clump, which is also across the border in Hampshire, 

 not very far from Ludgershall ; but about ten years since some 

 mischievous fellow cut off the special branch of the tree which 

 the Ravens had made their nursery, and the birds have never been 

 seen there since. In reference to this Ravens' nest at Tangley, I 

 learn from Mr. W. H. Fowle, of Chute Forest, that on one 

 occasion, when one of the old birds was shot, at the time there 

 were young birds in the nest, the other parent bird disappeared 

 for about three hours, and then returned with another mate, 

 who helped to bring up the brood. This was told to Mr. Fowle 

 by a man who had himself witnessed it. The young birds were 



15 



