236 Animal Life 
parents, thus leaving the latter in sole possession of a haunt 
where there is not sufficient accommodation. ‘ One-room 
life” or overcrowding is far from being im accordance with 
the views of the knowing old birds of the little grebe species. 
Not a great many years ago ravens used to breed in our 
inland counties. The tree still stands in which the last pair 
bred in Middlesex. Still, these birds are not 
altogether confined to the wildest parts of our 
coasts, for in one or two well-protected inland 
spots they still build and lay. It was in one of these inland 
The Raven’s 
Little Ruse. 
breeding haunts that I saw and studied the 
habits of these outlaws of the am. I call 
them outlaws because they have been driven 
from most of our English counties by powder 
and shot, through an erroneous idea that our 
raven kills and takes lambs and other small 
animals. In this respect, however, the 1raven 
is not such a confirmed robber as the carrion 
crow. In counties in which I found the former 
breeding, there were extensive sheep farms. I 
have it on the authority of N 
shepherds and keepers that the 
raven seldom, if ever, touched 
the live lambs, while the 
carrion crow was a much 
worse offender, for he was often 
seen threatening or attacking 
them. Civilisation has also had 
much to do with driving the 
COAL TIT. 
wy dummy, and 
IR never meant to 
Se contain eggs. 
The raven, I 
believe, always 
makes two 
nests, and if 
Ve any intruder 
approaches, the 
birds are often 
seen settling near or flying over 
the unused one. Time after time 
we saw a raven sitting on a rock 
immediately over a dummy nest, 
his black form outlined in sharp 
profile against the sky. At last 
we discovered his little ruse, and 
found that all the time the hen 
CHAFFINCH. 
raven from Hnegland. 
We saw a pair 
of ravens cire- 
ling over their 
haunt, and a 
nest was found 
apparently not 
yet ready for 
eggs. This we 
afterwards dis- 
covered was a 
PIED WAGTAIL. 
BLU TIT. dingle or 
aN was sitting on one egg In a 
STARLING. genuine nest near by. This was 
well concealed, and there was every probability 
of the one egg being hatched. 
When ravens have young the male will 
€ almost attack any intruder who goes too near 
the nest, whether 1t be man or 
fuel in bird. A keeper I know, who 
: lives near the ravens’ haunt, was 
once sitting near to a nest containing a brood. 
One of the old birds was flying about the steep 
gorge on the hillside, “barking” 
defiance, and trying to guard his young. A too venturesome 
kestrel, which, I believe, had a nest in the same dingle, began 
flymg round the larger bird. This so angered the raven that 
he attacked the kestrel without more ado. ‘The latter, with 
much better powers of flight, simply toyed with his adversary, 
and for a long time the two soared round and about, the 
kestrel seeming to enjoy the fun, while the raven, to judge’ 
by his angry “barks,” was becoming more and more enraged. 
At last he became more determined, and with one desperate 
rush caught up to the little brown hawk, and with a deadly 
