AND OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



91 



Although the Raven is omnivorous, its chief food is carrion, by which is here 

 meant, the carcases of Sheep, Horses, Cattle, Leer, and other quadrupeds ; Dol- 

 phins and Cetaceous animals in general, as well as fishes that have been cast ashore. 

 In autumn it sometimes commits s>-fat havoc among barley, and in spring occasion- 

 ally destroys young lambs. It has also been accused of killing diseased sheep by 

 picking out their eyes. It annoys the housewives by sometimes Hying off with young 

 poultry, and especially by breaking and sucking, or rather gobbling eggs, which 

 the ducks or hens may have deposited, as they frequently do, among the herbage 



In these islands, should a Horse or a Cow die, as is not unfrequently the case in the 

 beginning of summer, after a severe winter or spring, or should a Grampus or other 

 large Cetaceous animal be cast on the shore, the Ravens speedily assemble, and remain 

 in the neighbourhood until they have devoured it. "U^hatever may be said by closet- 

 naturalists as to the unrivalled adaptation of the point of the upper mandible of the 

 Rapacious birds for tearing flesh, the bill of the Raven is in practice quite as efficient 

 an instrument. That bird can not only with great ease tear off morsels of flesh, but can 

 pick the smallest shreds from the bones, and rend the intestines in pieces. When en- 

 '^atred upon a large carcase, they conduct themselves very much in the manner of the 

 North American Vultures, as described by Wilson and Audubon. We have seen them 

 thus occupied with a Cow. Some were tearing up the flesh from the external parts, 

 uihers dragging out the intestines, and two or three had made their way into the cavity 

 of the abdomen. 



The Raven sometimes nestles at no great distance from the Eagle, in which case 

 these birds do not molest each other ; but in general the former is a determined enemy 

 to the latter, and may often be seen harassing it. Two Ravens attack the Eagle, 

 one hovering above, the other beneath; but without ever coming into contact with 

 the object of their dislike, which seems to regard them as more disagieeable than 

 dano-erous, and appears to hurry on to avoid being pestered by them. Although they 

 keenly pursue all intruders that seem in any way formidable, they on the other hand 

 allow the Cormorant, the Rock-pigeon, and the black Guillemot, to nestle in their 

 immediate vicinity. 



The voice of the Raven is a hoarse croak, resembling the syllables crock, cruck, or 

 chrro; but it also emits a note not unlike the sound of a sudden gulp, or the syllable 

 cluck, which it seems to utter when in a sportive mood ; for, although ordinarily 

 grave, the Raven sometimes indulges in a frolic, performing somersets and various 

 evolutions in the air, much in the manner of the Rook. 



The character of this Bird accords well with the -desolate aspect of the rugged glens 

 of *.he Hcbridian moors. He and the Eagle are the fit inhabitants of those grim rocks ; 

 the Red Grouse, the Plover, and its page, of those brown and scarred heaths ; the 

 Ptarmigan of those craggy and tempest-beaten summits. The red-throated Diver 

 and Merganser, beautiful as they are, fail to give beauty to those pools of dark -brown 

 water, edged with peat banks, and unadorned with silvan verdure. Even the water- 

 lily, with its splendid white flowers, floating on the deep bog, reflects no glory on the 

 surrounding scenery, but selfishly draws all your regards to itself. 



The species is also very abundant in the Orkney and Shetland islands. In Suther- 

 land, Ross-shire, and many parts of the county of Inverness, it is also not uncommon. 

 In most of the Highland districts, we have met with it here and there. In the lower 

 parts of the middle division of Scotland, it is of much rarer occurrence; nor is it 

 plentiful even in the higher and more central portions of the southern division, al- 

 though we have seen it in many places there. In England it is much less frequently 

 met with than in Scotland, although it seems to be generally distributed there also. 

 If we take the whole range of the island as its residence, we must add to its bill of 

 fare many articles not mentioned above, so as to include young Hares and Rabbits ; 

 other small quadrupeds, as Rats, Moles, and Mice, young poultry, and the young of 

 other birds, as Pheasants, Grouse, Ducks, and Geese ; eggs of all kinds, echini, 

 mollusca, fruit, barley, wheat, and oats ; insects, Crustacea, grubs, worms, and pro- 

 bably many other articles, besides fish and carrion of all sorts. 



In the northern parts of Scotland, the Raven constructs its nest on high cliffs, 

 especially those on the sea-shore; but in the southern parts of the island, where 

 rocks are not so common as tall trees, it is said frequently to nestle in the latter. 

 According to the locality, it begins to repair its nest, or collect materials for form- 

 ing a new one, as early as from the beginning to the end of February. In the man- 

 time districts, it is generally composed of twigs of heath, dry sea-weeds, grass, wool, 

 ajid feathers. It is of irregular construction, and very bulky. The eggs are from 

 four to seven, pale-green, with small spots and blotches of greenish-brown and grey, 

 and are about two inches in length. The young are at first of a blackish colour 

 scantily covered with soft, loose, greyish-black down. They are generally abroad by 

 the middle of May. It has been remarked, that when, during incubation, or even 

 when the young have left the nest; one of the old Birds is killed, the survivor soon 

 finds a mate. Ravens, if unmolested, breed in the same spot year after year. 



Few Birds are possessed of more estimable qualities than the Raven. His con- 

 stitution is such as to enable him to brave the fury of the most violent tempests, and 

 to subsist amidst the most intense cold; he is strong enough to repel any bird of his 

 own size, and his spirit is such as to induce him to attack even the Eagle; his affec- 

 tion towards his mate and young is great, although not superior to that m.anifested 

 by many other birds; in sagacity he is not excelled by any other species; and his 

 power of vision is at least equal to that of most others, not excepting the Birds of 

 prey, for he is generally the first to discover a carcase. To Man, however, he seems 

 to be more injurious than useful, as he is accused of killing weakly sheep, sometimes 

 destroys lambs, and frequently carries off the young and eggs of domestic poultry. 

 For this reason he is generally proscribed, and in many districts a price is set upon 

 his head ; but his instinct and reason suffice to keep his race from materially diminish- 

 ir^. He seems to have fewer feathered enemies than most other Birds, for although 

 he may often be seen pursuing Gulls, Hawks, and Eagles, we have never seen any 

 species attacking him, with the exception of the Domestic Cock. It has been alleged, 

 however, that Rooks assail him in defence of their young, and there is nothing in- 

 credible in this, for the weakest bird will often in such a case attack the most power- 

 ful and rapacious. 



Numberless anecdotes are told of the Raven in the domestic state, but as our space 

 is limited, we ai'e unable to present any of them ; and have only further to state, that 

 young birds are easily reared, become perfectly tame, may be taught to pronounce 

 words, and form amusipg, though occasionally mischievous pets. The species is very 

 widely distributed over the globe, being more or less common in Europe, Asia, and 

 America, but more abundant towards the Arctic regions. 



Eagles' Nests. — " An Old Correspondent" of Loudon's Magazine states, that 

 not many years ago, the Eagle had its nest annually in two places on the borders uf 

 the counties of Dumfries and Selkirk. One was on a precipice in Eskdale ; "the 

 other situation was chosen with much of that touch of reflection that we sometimes 

 observe among birds, as well as others of the lower animals. There is a small rocky 

 islet, almost even with the water, in Loch Skene, which is surrounded with the higli- 

 est mountains south of the Forth ; and, although the side of one of these mountains, 

 that overhangs the lake, is rocky and seemingly inaccessible, the Eagles chose to 

 have their nests on the islet in the loch, because, forsooth, the loch-craig could be 

 approached by ropes from above, while it is almost impossible to convey a boat to 

 the loch, and there never was one there." Now, we would have naturalists to think 

 a little before they state a fact, and be sparing of theory. A boat has been con- 

 veyed to the loch, and the Eagles of the district are extinct. The si Je of the moun- 

 tain "that overhangs the lake" is a rocky slope of less than forty degrees, and 

 certainly does not afford a spot to which a person without a rope might not approach 

 to within ten yarils. Eagles ofU'u make their nests in very insecure places. Wo 

 have seen several that could easily be got at by a steady person. One was in a rock 

 not thirty feet high, on the edge of a lake in Harris ; another on a smaller rock among 

 the hills of that island ; a third at the height of sixty feet in the island of Shellay ; 

 a fourth about thirty feet from the top of a rock on the west coast of Harris ; a fiftli 

 at least five hundred feet of perpendicular height from the sea, but not ten feet from 

 the brink of the precipice, which, however, was surmounted by a very steep and slip- 

 pery slope ; a sixth was on a small island in a lake, in the pass of I\Iiavag, surrounded 

 by precipices, compared witii which the rocks of the south of Scotland are contempt- 

 ible, and on which were many utterly inaccessible spots. The Eagle seems, in fact, 

 to have no precise notions as to either ropes or boats ; and it is unnecessary t<» 

 attribute to her more sagacity than she possesses. She certainly selects what she 

 considers the safest spot, but without regard to its altitude ; and, accordingly, her 

 nest may be seen on the gravelly beach of a small lake, or on the summit of a pre- 

 cipice five hundred feet high. In this respect she resembles the Starling, whoso 

 nests we have seen in high precipices, on grassy slopes, and in deserted rats' holes, 

 close to the tide-mark. 



Rump Gland of Birds.- — The uropygial gland of Birds, being one of the few 

 organs accessible to the external-character Ornithologists, has been the subject ofrmucti 

 discussion. Its uses are still unknown ; although it was at one time confidently as- 

 serted to be a reservoir of oil, to be employed by the Bird for anointing its feathers. 

 It is a remirkable fact, however, that the rumpless race of the domestic fowl, which 

 is destitute of this organ, has its feathers not less perfect than those races which ari' 

 complete in all its parts ; and therefore it has been maintained, that the contents of 

 the gland are not applied to the purpose alleged. No person has actually seen a 

 Bird squeeze the oil from the gland, and apply it to the plumage; and it seems quite 

 impossible that many species, whose bills are of great length, or of a form ill-adaptod 

 for the purpose, could thus besmear their leathers : the Curlew, for example, the 

 Spoonbill, the Pelican, and the Gannet, whose head and neck, although beyond reacli 

 of their bill, is always in as good condition as any other part of their body. It is a 

 well-known fact, that in Birds, when moulting, this gland is greatly enlarged, and in 

 cage-birds often inflames and suppurates in consequence of the increased action which 

 takes place in it. But it has not hitherto been known, that when the moult is com- 

 pleted, or rather, when the feathers of the tail are fully developed, the organ dimin- 

 ishes to such a degree, that frequently little of it can be seen besides its nipple-like 

 prominence. We were led to raake this observation by finding it much reduced in 

 a fine Peregrine Falcon, shot in the beginning of winter, and of which the tail seemed 

 complete, while in a Pigeon which had been killed when several of the tail feathers 

 were sprouting, it was extremely large. Since then, we have inspected a multitude 

 of birds, and in almost every case where the tail was full grown, have found the 

 rump-gland very small. It therefore, in all probability, has reference to the develop- 

 ment of the caudal quills in a manner which we shall explain on a future occasion, 

 and in this respect is analogous to certain other organs in Birds which undergo pe- 

 riodica! changes. 



Iruegdlar Growth of the Teeth of Rodentia. — Professor Meisner of 

 Basle has recently given some account of the prodigious growth of incisor teeth in 

 some of the Rodentia, which he thus accounts for. These teeth, in their normal 

 state, are continually growing In length, slowly rising in height from the alveola, in 

 such proportions as become requisite to compensate for the daily wearing away of their 

 chisel-formed edges. This growth not ceasing during life, he remarks that all such 

 teeth are invariably tubular at their base ; and that the same effect is produced not 

 only in the incisor teeth, but in all others whose roots remain unclosed. In animals, 

 such as the Elephant, Babyroussa, Hippopotamus, and Narwhal, where these bony 

 productions serve as a defence, the same observation seems fully to apply ; and they 

 sometimes attain an enormous length, no given measure having been ascribed to them 

 for the full period of their maturity, that depending solely upon the duration of the 

 animal's life. In the molar tee'.h of Hates, Rabbits, the Beaver, and some other 

 Rodentia, this fact holds equally good ; but it is not so in the domestic Rat, I^Iousc, 

 and others, in which the alveola is always closed. Pie cites the observations of Blu- 

 menbach on the monstrous growth of the molar '.eeth cf a Hare, examined by him, 

 and also those of Rudolphi on a similar lusus in a Guinea Pig. We have fully con- 

 firmed these observations by an examination of several extraordinary examples of thi(; 

 phenomenon in the matchless Museum of the College of Surgeons. In a Rabbit, we 

 observed the incisor teeth to have grown in a spiral form; in a Hare, also, in which. 



