VOL. XIV.] NOTES ON SOMERSETSHIRE RAVENS. 33 



of the head, also around the gape, then walked round and 

 did the same on the other side. Whilst being thus caressed, 

 the male sat in a crouching attitude with head and neck 

 pressed down to the body and beak pointing to the sky, but 

 not vertically. I am quite sure it was the female caressing 

 the male, as he was already perched on the stone when she 

 fed the young ; and my gaze was riveted on her every move- 

 ment when she alighted near him. 



On April 25th a very remarkable and tragic occurrence 

 had taken place. One of the strongest chicks was hanging 

 from the nest, head downwards, quite dead, its feet having 

 apparently become entangled in the lining of the nest. I 

 afterwards recovered this dead one, and on dissection it 

 proved to have died from exposure : length 21 1 in., wings, 

 from tip to tip 41 1 in., weight i lb. 13 ozs. After preserving 

 it as a skin, I sent it to our county museum at Taunton. 



Two of the young left the eyrie on April 27th, both follow- 

 ing the female after feeding. 



April 28th : Mendips covered in snow, and half a gale of 

 wind blowing. The last occupant of the nursery appeared 

 to feel its loneliness acutely ; it passed a lot of time between 

 meals pecking all over the nest, now hopping with flapping 

 wings on to the rocky prominence or looking down as though 

 it would fly at any moment ; it even attempted to do so, 

 then, as if on second thoughts, it clung with flapping wings 

 to the bottom of the exterior of the nest and struggled up 

 on to it again. It clung to every foothold near the nest, 

 and finally flopped round the cliff face, and the eyrie was 

 abandoned. The fledging-period was almost exactly five 

 weeks. 



On April 29th, I watched two young fed as they were 

 resting amongst some flowering scurvy grass half-way up 

 the cliff face. 



The deep sounding " Wauk," " wauk," of this species, 

 as it wings its way high overhead, immediately arrests the 

 attention, and together with the appearance of the huge 

 bill and outstretched neck at once reveals its identity ; 

 but many of its notes are difficult to syllable correctly. 

 Those of the female, as she drove the Jackdaws off, were 

 " Cluck, cluck, cluck," and " Wort, wort, wort." 



