368 



British Cage Birds. 



The irides are dusky brown ; the eyes are expressive of cunning 

 and cruelty. The upper parts of the body are deep, rich, glossy 

 black, tinctured with blue, which is most observable in a strong 

 sunlight ; the under parts are duller, and more dusky in hue. 

 The wings, throat, and tail, have a green reflected lustre- 

 radiating the outer surface. The legs and feet are black. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Eaven is by far the largest- 

 member of the Corvine family, and is found pretty generally 

 distributed over the entire surface of the globe. It has been 

 found as far north as Greenland and Iceland, where it is utilised 

 as an article of food ; and the natives, after curing the skins, 

 wear them as a protection against cold. The Eaven not only 

 inhabits the Arctic regions, but is found also in hot countries — 

 in India and Japan — and, in the Western hemisphere, in Canada, 

 the United States, and Mexico ; it likewise visits some parts of 

 South America, such as Chili and Peru. It is indigenous to 

 Great Britain and several other countries. In our Island, it is 

 found in greatest abundance in Scotland and Wales. It is 

 solitary in its habits, and chooses mountainous and extensively 

 wooded regions in quiet, secluded districts, or steep, rugged rocks 

 or cliffs bounding the seashore. 



It builds its nest most frequently in tall trees overhanging 

 steep crags, or in dense woods or forests ; sometimes it selects, 

 for this purpose a crevice in a projecting rock or promontory 

 girt by the sea, or a hole in a perpendicular rock at the 

 side of a mountain ; but, whatever place be selected, it 

 is usually adhered to with unwavering fidelity, even though 

 the birds may be occasionally deprived of their offspring. 

 Eavens appear to possess in an eminent degree the faculty 

 of locality, and are difficult to oust from any place which they 

 have chosen as a home ; they are courageous and daring during 

 the period of nidification, and will attack indiscriminately any 

 bird, from a Jackdaw to an Eagle, that trespasses too near their 

 domain. The nest is composed of twigs broken from decayed 

 branches of trees, root fibres, and sometimes small bones ; it is. 

 lined with moss, wool, and hair, or fur. The hen lays from 

 three to six eggs (generally three or four), of a dull greyish 

 green, spotted with dark green and olive brown, and incubates 

 from twenty to twenty-one days. The male supplies his. 

 partner with food at this time, and relieves her, two or three^ 

 times a day, for a short period. Both parents feed the young,. 



