on Ravens Breeding in Captivity. 293


vigorous, young in the nest, there was something uncanny about

their beaks, as they showed above the edge of the nest,

and they were plainly quite deformed. A week later I inspected

the nest and found one j^oung bird recently dead, with its leg

tightly twisted up in the wool which lined the nest. Its beak

was both twisted awry and the upper mandible projected

unnaturally over the lower one; the living nestling being also

disfigured in the same way. Moreover, if closely examined one

sees that the toes of one foot do not spread as they should.

However these defects do not affect the young bird’s spirits, and

only the other day I watched him playing with a flat piece of

bone, burying it, and immediately digging it up, as if dissatisfied

with the security of his treasure, in the quaint way common to

the Crow family. But the poor bird cannot tear up tough food,

and we have to be careful to supply pieces that he can manage.

The parents, rather grudgingly, still (mid. July) feed him, and

should they cease to do this, I am afraid he may have some

difficulty in picking up a living. I attribute these defects to

insufficient nourishment (quality not quantity) when the nest¬

lings were growing, as it seems to me to be a form of “ rickets.”

Anyhow I shall take care that, if I am lucky enough to have

another Ravens’ nest next spring, there shall be plenty of more

substantial food at hand. It did not occur to me at the time, but

as a falconer I ought to have remembered that, though rabbit

flesh is a good change of food, especially in hot weather, Hawks

cannot work hard upon it ; and if fed too freely upon this meat,

will rapidly lose condition and stamina.


I11 conclusion may I appeal to anybody who keeps a tame

Raven, to see that he has a daily opportunity of a wash in a

deep bath of clean water, or the plumage will never be kept

smart. My Ravens are in faultless condition, and are constantly

bathing. Indeed one can scarcely give them greater pleasure

than to change their bath water, even several times a day, in

summer weather.



