192 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



of the dead one soon got another mate. In all likelihood, 

 the birds intended nesting that year. Next one — 1921 — a 

 pair seem to have reared a brood among the hills or in 

 their immediate neighbourhood. In any case four were 

 seen in the summer of this year near Glenburnie, Lauder, 

 two from their laboured flight evidently young birds. Later 

 in the season, Mr Hunter, shepherd, came upon the old 

 birds gorging themselves on a dead sheep. Fortunately, 

 though there were several opportunities, any temptation to 

 trap them was resisted. 



In the first week of April of the present year, five of 

 these large and handsome birds were seen playing in the 

 air over Crib Cleugh, and before the end of the month, the 

 fact of their actual nesting was placed beyond dispute. In a 

 narrow, rocky gorge high among the hills, a pair made their 

 nest in a crevice of the rock about 14 feet above the stream. 

 When the three young were almost fledged, the keepers 

 found and carried them away. Two were kept as pets, the 

 third having soon died. I saw one of them at East 

 Addinston — a strong young bird with a voracious appetite. 

 Shortly afterward, I walked with a friend to see the place 

 where their nest had been. The parent birds rose from the 

 gorge and soared for some time over the moors about it. 

 Their nest occupied a little recess under a brow of the rock 

 with a dwarf rowan tree growing above it. From the 

 opposite side of the gorge it could be quite easily seen. 

 Without great difficulty we climbed to the place, to find the 

 nest consist of a large foundation of stems of heather, with 

 a deep cup of black and white wool resting on them. By 

 this time the two Ravens had disappeared over a ridge of the 

 hill. They continued for some time longer, however, to 

 haunt the Lauderdale Lammermoors. On 17th July, I 

 noticed both birds crossing overhead, and others have 

 reported them since. Visiting the place again in September, 

 I found the nest entirely removed from the large crevice 

 which it had almost filled, and of the Ravens themselves, 

 that day, there was no trace on the hills. 



