British Corv/dne. 
39 
nually so that I tl)ink, I may claim to know soiiiothiiig' of the 
bird's munnei's and customs. 
"A\'hilo I wish to I'cmark, — 
And my kinguage is plain, 
That for ways that are dark, 
And for tricks that are vain," 
The I\av('i> is peculiar! 
Rut to start at the beginning I must say that the 
noblest repi'esentativo of the Crow^ ti'ibe to be found in the 
British Isles is uudoulilcdiy the Raven (Corrus rora.r). The 
bird is yearly becoming rarer, and, in its natui'al state, is to be 
fouiid in comparatively few districts. It may still be found in 
the North of Scotland, where it creates havoc among the young 
Grouse. The growing scarcity of the Raven is owing to its 
destructive propensities, and there can be no doubt it is a great 
nuisance where it exists in numbers. 
It nests chiefly on the cliffs, but sometimes will choose 
a tree for the purpose. Ravens are models of conjugal fidelity. 
Once mated, they are companions for life— divorce is unknown! 
