i68 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



fondly of ail to the coasts of Cornwall, of Devon, and of 

 Dorset. In a walk of moderate length along the Cornish 

 coast from the Lizard, I have watched three Ravens 

 busy about their nests. I have seen them and heard of 

 them repeatedly on the splendid stretch of coast which runs 

 between Thurlestone and Salcombe in South Devon ; while, 

 in a rather longer walk, along the coast of Dorset, from 

 Whitenose Cliff to St. Alban's Head, I have known at 

 least four pairs of Ravens rearing or trying to rear their 

 young." And he instances also Swyre Head, Gad Cliff, 

 and Studland as each the haunt of a pair of these rare 

 birds. 



In the wilder North, though he has greater freedom of 

 choice, the Raven seems to take care to select a spot where 

 intruding man is least likely to come. Here is a word- 

 picture of one such nest in Inverness-shire, from the pen 

 of the late Mr. Charles St. John. 



"The whole country within view of the lake was 

 picturesque and bold. In the rocks near the water were a 

 colony of wild cats, whose cries during the night deterred, 

 the shepherd from passing that way ; while on the highest 

 part of the grey precipice was a Raven's nest, the owners 

 of which always kept up a concert with their voices of 

 ill-omen, whenever they saw a human being near their 

 dominions. 



" There they would sit, on a withered branch of a tree 

 or a pointed rock, croaking and playing their quaint 

 antics for hours together. Their nest was so protected by 

 a shelf of rock which projected below it, that I never could 

 get a rifle-ball into it." 



Although they take such good care to build as much 

 as possible out of reach of their great enemy. Ravens show 

 surprising courage in "facing fearful odds." The swift 



