RAVENS. 211 



obtaining a plentiful supply of food in any circumstances, seeing that their easily satisfied stomachs 

 are equally ready to appropriate all kinds of nourishment. In their conduct the Ravens display an 

 intelligence that cannot fail to interest every observer, and most curious are the means by which they 

 seem to impart and receive hints or suggestions from each other. Some species will assemble at a 

 given hour upon a certain tree, and enter at once, as it would seem, upon a full discussion of the 

 events of the day, the old birds instructing the younger members of the party, who appear to profit by 

 the lessons thus received ; superior instinct or talent is sure to find promotion amongst them, the 

 most intelligent being at once recognised as leaders of the rest of the flock. Their habits are social, 

 but each bird may be said to lead an independent life, though ready at a moment's notice to join its 

 companions in defence or attack. The structure of their nests is very various ; some are placed 

 apart, and separate from each other ; others in close vicinity ; the only interruption to the general 

 harmony occurring during the breeding season, when the busy couples are all clamouring and struggling 

 for favourite building places or necessary materials. At such times those who cannot take what they 

 want by force, employ wonderful dexterity and cunning in abstracting the coveted object, should its 

 possessor be for one moment off" his guard. The brood consists of from four to six eggs. Both parents 

 assist in the work of incubation, the male stealing occasionally from the side of his mate to pass an 

 hour in chattering or singing with a select party of friends, perched upon some neighbouring tree. 

 The young remain for a considerable time under the care and tuition of their parents, who rarely 

 brood more than once during the summer. 



For the most part, the Ravens must be considered as eminently useful, destroying, as they do, 

 large quantities of noxious insects, and thus rendering great service to man. Some of the larger 

 members of the order, on the contrary, are distinguished by a cruelty and rapacity that render them 

 extremely destructive to the smaller quadrupeds, causing them to be regarded as deserving of human 

 vengeance, and fit objects for relentless persecution. When caged, the Ravens are many of them 

 extremely interesting, as they will not only learn to imitate tunes, but some of them acquire the 

 power of repeating whole sentences with as great facility as does the Parrot, and soon become 

 perfectly tame. The flesh of many species is well flavoured, and the feathers are employed for a 

 variety of purposes. 



We shall divide the order of Ravens into four groups, all distinctly recognisable by some 

 marked peculiarity of structure, but resembling each other in their general mode of life and habits. 

 These divisions we shall distinguish as the Starlings, the Birds of Paradise, the Ravens 

 Proper, and the Plantain Eaters, assigning to the Starlings the first place, as being superior to 

 the rest in their vocal powers. 



THE STARLINGS. 

 The Starlings (Sturnida) must be ranked among the smaller birds belonging to this order, and 

 are eminently distinguished for their high endowments. Their body is elongated, the wings of 

 moderate size, the tail seldom of any great length, usually short and straight, die tarsus of medium 

 height, the beak long, conical, and weak. The plumage is composed of small harsh feathers, much 

 variegated in their hues, and frequently presenting a brilliant gloss. With the exception of Australia, 

 the members of this family are distributed over the entire world ; each continent and country 

 possessing its peculiar species : America, more especially, is particularly rich in different races of 

 Starlings 



The YELLOW STARLINGS (Tcteri) are birds varying in size from that of a Crow to that of a 



