324 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



gapes. Presently the shadow swept across again lower down, 

 and the old bird sailed noiselessly on to the deserted chasm nest. 

 She stood there anxiously peering down at the young, looking as 

 glossy as black satin, and as she peered down the grey third 

 eyelid kept flashing across her eye. I think it must be darker 

 than that of the Hooded Crow, as it does not seem as marked a 

 feature. After a time she sailed down on to a burnt-looking patch 

 of grass almost on a level with the nest, and after some hesita- 

 tion glided on to the nest, and amid a tumult of flapping wings 

 and half-choked cries she fed both the young by regurgitation, 

 flying off a few seconds later with a piece of white excrement in 

 her beak. The young kept up a continual clamour until she 

 had made five or six visits in fifteen minutes, each time carrying 

 excrement away when she left them. 



I have been surprised since my return from this expedition 

 at the number of times I have been asked if the Eaven's nest 

 was very foul. As a matter of fact, the Raven, like the Hoodie, 

 keeps the nest scrupulously clean, and the young are quite free 

 from vermin. The myth to which this idea can be traced is 

 mentioned by Isaac Walton, and is quaintly put as follows : — 

 " For a certain annotator saith that the young Ravens while as 

 yet they are unfledged do appear of whiteness, and therefore are 

 neglected of their parents, as if they were bastards, seeing that 

 they resemble not their colour. At which time Divine Provi- 

 dence, who nowhere sleepeth, doth feed them that call upon Him- 

 self. For he causeth certain vermicles [small worms] to be bred 

 in the little nest, by eating of which they are sustained, until at 

 length on the ninth day, the feathers beginning to grow, they 

 resemble the colour of their parents, and so come to be nourished 

 by them " (Louis of Grenada). As Reg. B. Lodge points out, 

 the foul nest with "vermicles" was probably that of the Kite. 

 The male also fed the young, but not as frequently as the female. 

 Selous agreed in identifying female by one of the secondary feathers 

 being missing from her left wing. Although the male did not often 

 feed, he frequently watched from the alcove site. The young 

 were fed nine times between 2.10 and 4.30 p.m. At 4.50 one 

 of the old birds, which had been standing preening itself in the 

 chasm site, flew away uneasily, and a few minutes later Earl 

 and Selous relieved me. 



