RAVENS IN SOMERSET 119 



now, the raven was to be met with throughout 

 the county, and was abundant on Exmoor and the 

 Quantocks. The old head-keeper on the Forest 

 of Exmoor told me that when he took the place, 

 twenty -five years ago, ravens, carrion crows, 

 buzzards, and hawks of various kinds were very 

 abundant, and that the war he had waged against 

 them for a quarter of a century had well-nigh 

 extirpated all these species. He had kept a 

 careful record of all birds killed, noting the 

 species in every case, as he was paid for aU, but 

 the reward varied, the largest sum being given 

 for the largest birds — ravens and buzzards. His 

 book shows that in one year, a quarter of a 

 century ago, he was paid for fifty -two ravens 

 shot and trapped. After that the number 

 annually diminished rapidly, and for several 

 years past not one raven had been kiUed. 



At present one may go from end to end of 

 the county, which is a long one, and find no 

 raven ; but in very many places, from North 

 Devon to the borders of Gloucestershire, one 

 would find accounts of "last ravens." Even 

 in the comparatively populous neighbourhood of 

 WeUs at least three pairs of ravens bred annually 



