CH. VIII.] RAVEN—CAT—BARN OWL—KESTREL. 247 
it better. Ravens are not at all numerous in the 
Isle of Wight, although they enjoy there very 
generally the advantages accruing from the super- 
stitious respect with which they are so commonly 
regarded, as but few of the lower orders would 
be found bold enough to kill one. The tame one 
that I have mentioned, when he made his escape, 
commenced his peregrinations by getting on 
the porch of a cottage, and nearly frightened 
the inmates out of their wits by croaking in at 
the windows. 
Probably there is no kind of vermin more de- 
structive to game than the Cat, but fortunately 
also there is perhaps none which is more easily 
trapped. An instance has been mentioned to me 
where a large, long-neglected covert having been 
taken in hand for game, the keeper, a knowing 
hand, commenced operations by leading a drag of 
rabbit's entrails from several points in the sides 
of the covert to a central tree in it. From a 
branch of this he suspended the drag, setting a 
number of gins all round it, and was next morn- 
ing rewarded by finding them tenanted by a re- 
gular flock of cats. 
Opinions little favourable to the common Barn 
Owl and Kestrel are not unfrequently expressed 
