THE RAVEN. 
269 
are now so changed for the worse, that I despair of 
ever seeing again this fine British bird in any t>f our 
woods. 
He who wishes to study the habits of the raven 
in its own native haunts must not look for him here. 
He must bend his steps to those parts of Yorkshire 
where the bird is still allowed to exist. 
There is a brood of ravens every season on the 
rocks near Flamborough Head; and, no doubt, others 
are to be found, at certain intervals, along the vast 
extent of that bold and rock-bound shore. The 
nest is chiefly made of the same materials as that of 
the carrion crow, with the addition of a few dried 
weeds which grow on the coast. I have never 
taken the eggs ; but if I may judge from one in my 
possession, the egg is remarkably small for the size 
of the bird ; and in colour, it bears a close resem- 
blance to the egg of the carrion crow. The young, 
like those of all the pie tribe, are hatched blind. 
On leaving the nest, their feathers have a brownish 
cast ; but after the first moulting, the birds acquire 
that glossy richness of plumage which is so conspi- 
cuous in the raven. 
Though the naturalist will feel but little interest 
in the habits of a bird which is brought up as a pet, 
under the immediate inspection of man ; still I can- 
not help remarking here, that of all known birds 
(the grey red-tailed parrot of Africa not excepted) 
there is none to be found so docile, so clever, and so 
amusing, as the raven. I bought a young one, about 
three years ago, at the well-known village of Flam- 
borough, and I called it Marco. Marco could do 
