The Great-Billed Haven in Captivity.



137



THE GREAT-BILLED RAVEN IN

CAPTIVITY.


B. Theo. Stewart.


The pair of Abyssinian Great-billed or Thick-billed Raven

recently acquired by the Zoological Society aroused considerable

interest among Aviculturists. Very little appears to be generally

known concerning the habits, etc., of these remarkable birds, and

though my attention was called to a brief account published a short

time ago the narrative seems to me to suffer from a lack of personal

observation and experience.


Perhaps it is as well to say here that my bird was in my

possession before the advent of those mentioned above and was, I

believe, the only specimen in a private collection. I have kept

Ravens for years and quite fail to see the resemblance either in habits

or appearance between the Great-hilled Raven and the European

kind.


At the first glance the bird appears more brown than black.

It is larger than the common Raven, standing higher on the leg,

has a long neck and is more ungainly in shape- The white patch on

the lower part of the head, extending down the neck, has a curious

woolly look, just as to my thinking the bird has a negroid stare

about him altogether, intensified may be by the enormous arched

bill which is grooved at the sides, brown at the base, highly

polished and terminates in a white hook. The same white hook

by the way, when imbrued in blood, gives just the touch of colour

which is needed !


I will not pretend to answer the question as to why the

bird should own such an extraordinarily developed bill, but that it

serves whatever purpose nature intended it to I have no doubt. That

it is not the powerful offensive weapon casual observers believe and

stand in awe of, I have had my proof. It lacks the “ power behind

the blow ” of the knife-like appendage sported by its common

relative. The gentleman who is always dressed in black !


I have tested its capacity many times on my bare hands !

partly out of curiosity but chiefly because I believe in handling all



