CAGE AND SINGING BIRDS. 
123 
of night, and of doom, and of all kinds of dreariness ; and 
^i* half the stories are true that are told about him, he must 
possess an intuitive knowledge of things celestial and ter- 
restrial, greater than any witch or wizard that ever flew 
upon a broomstick, or fished with the rod of enchantment 
for the souls of men. 
If you have a fancy for a pet raven, and cannot purchase 
one already tamed, try and get a nest of young squabs : it 
is not easy to do this, for the bird chooses the tops of very 
high trees and inaccessible places to build in, and the 
species is by no means plentiful in this countr}^ ; however, it 
may be done : try and get the little croakers when about half 
fledged, that is, twelve days' old or so ; feed them upon 
bread and milk, meat, raw or cooked, worms, cockchafers, 
and other insects, and the entrails of rabbits, fowls, or 
pigeons. When fully grown, they will eat almost anything, 
and will need no pampering ; candles, soap, or shoe leather — 
nothing will come amiss to them — and what they cannot 
eat they will pull to pieces, or hide away in some cunning- 
hole or corner. When young, you may easily teach them to 
talk, by repeating to them frequently the words you wish 
them to utter, rewarding their efibrts at imitation with 
some dainty morsel of food : there is hardly anything that 
ft raven cannot say, if pains be taken to teach it, and the 
memory of the bird is truly wonderful : the amusing' anec- 
dotes which one might tell of its powers of speech would fill 
a good-sized book, but here we have no room for anec- 
dotes. 
Ravens are generally allowed the range of the premises, 
but it is best to let them have some snug' corner in an out- 
house, a trellissed pen, with a canvas or wooden roof, in 
the yard, or other sheltered place to retire into when they 
please ; they are dirty birds, and should not be allowed to 
harbour or sleep in the kitchen, or in any part of the dwel- 
ling. These birds often live to a very great age, and 
become quite heir-looms in a family ; their once glossy 
black coat then becomes rough and rusty-looking, and 
is sometimes spotted with gray. 
THE JACKDAW. 
This bird is very easily tamed ; in its natural stat€ it is 
