4182 The Zoologist — October, 1874. 



the homestead are certain to perish by his murderous assaults. 

 We cannot wonder that in turn every one who has the power is his 

 assailant: he has not a single friend, no one to palliate his mis- 

 deeds : even Dr. Saxby, the enthusiastic naturalist, compassed his 

 destruction on all occasions ; and well he might, for certainly the 

 raven only lacked the opportunity to do the same by him. 



" Some years ago I accidentally discovered a very successful method of 

 shooting these birds, the ouly objection to it being the expenditure of time 

 which it occasions. I was lying upon the heather, keeping my gun beneath 

 me to shelter it from a slight shower, when five ravens appeared in the 

 distance, and, soon catching sight of me, began hovering and croaking 

 overhead. Their curiosity was evidently excited, and they showed every 

 desire to cultivate a closer acquaintance, but though I stirred neither hand 

 nor foot, about half an hour passed without any further advance upon their 

 2iart. Presently the profound truth dawned upon me that dead animals 

 never move their eyes, and accordingly, to make the resemblance as com- 

 plete as possible, I closed my own. Very shortly afterwards the birds began 

 to wheel nearer, croaking louder than before, and occasionally alighting upon 

 a distant hillock ; and at last when they came within easy range I started 

 up suddenly and killed two. Upon several other occasions I have shot 

 them in a similar manner ; but they would never come within reach either 

 when the gun was exposed to view or when my eyes were open. Although 

 so cautious in their dealings with mankind, they will fearlessly approach a 

 pony, even when it is giving evident signs of life." — P. 120. 



A dog and raven on a Shetland farm had long been sworn 

 enemies; the raven was the aggressor; he continually annoyed 

 the dog, and evidently trusting lo his wings as a ready means of 

 escape, seemed to taunt the dog with his inability to avenge the 

 insult: the dog, after carrying on the war of words, — I mean 

 growling, and snarling, and barking, — at length appeared to relin- 

 quish the hope of subduing his enemy, and therefore pretended 

 utterly to disregard him. 



f\ " Seemingly in despair of ever being able to grapple with his enemy, the 

 dog could never again be enticed to forget his own want of wings, and 

 consequently the raven grew bolder and bolder, hopping along almost 

 beneath his very nose, and sometimes even striking him with its claws. 

 One day, however, as the dog was passing along a low turf-wall, the raven 

 thought fit to repeat the performance, keeping most provokingly a little in 

 advance, and occasionally varying the amusement with a croak or a sly 

 pounce. The dog trotted along as briskly as usual, looking neither to the 



