THE RAVEN. 81 



from time immemorial ignorance, prejudice, and destructiveness have ope- 

 rated on the mind of man to his detriment. Men will peril their lives to 

 reach his nest, assisted by ropes and poles, alleging merely that he has killed 

 one of their numerous sheep or lambs. Some say they destroy the Raven 

 because he is black; others, because his croaking is unpleasant and ominous! 

 Unfortunate truly are the young ones that are carried home to become the 

 wretched pets of some ill-brought-up child! For my part, I admire the 

 Raven, because I see much in him calculated to excite our wonder. It is 

 true that he may sometimes hasten the death of a half-starved sheep, or 

 destroy a weakly lamb; he may eat the eggs of other birds, or occasionally 

 steal from the farmer some of those which he calls his own; young fowls 

 also afford precious morsels to himself and his progeny; — but how many 

 sheep, lambs, and fowls, are saved through his agency! The more intelligent 

 of our farmers are well aware that the Raven destroys numberless insects, 

 grubs, and worms; that he kills mice, moles, and rats, whenever he can find 

 them; that he will seize the weasel, the young opossum, and the skunk; that, 

 with the perseverance of a cat, he will watch the burrows of foxes, and 

 pounce on the cubs; our farmers also are fully aware that he apprises them of 

 the wolf's prowlings around their yard, and that he never intrudes on their 

 corn-fields except to benefit them; — yes, good reader, the farmer knows all 

 this well, but he also knows his power, and, interfere as you may, with tale 

 of pity or of truth, the bird is a Raven, and, as Lafontaine has aptly and 

 most truly said, "La loi du plus fort est toujours la meilleure!" 



The flight of the Raven is powerful, even, and at certain periods greatly 

 protracted. During calm and fair weather it often ascends to an immense 

 height, sailing there for hours at a time; and although it cannot be called 

 swift, it propels itself with sufficient power to enable it to contend with 

 different species of Hawks, and even with Eagles when attacked by them. 

 It manages to guide its course through the thickest fogs of the countries of 

 the north, and is able to travel over immense tracts of land or water without 

 rest. 



The Raven is omnivorous, its food consisting of small animals of every 

 kind, eggs, dead fish, carrion, shell-fish, insects, worms, nuts, berries, and 

 other kinds of fruit. I have never seen one attack a large living animal, as 

 the Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow are wont to do; but I have known 

 it follow hunters when without dogs, to feed on the offals of the game, and 

 carry off salted fish when placed in a spring to freshen. It often rises in the 

 air with a shell-fish for the purpose of breaking it by letting it fall on a rock. 

 Its sight is exceedingly acute, but its smell, if it possesses the sense, is weak. 

 In this respect, it bears a great resemblance to our Vultures. 



The breeding season of this bird varies, according to the latitude, from the 



Vol. IV. 11 



