15 
between armies of Ihese and other raven* 
ous birds, and have regarded these combat* 
as foreboding bloody wars kindling among 
the nations. Even at the present day su- 
perstition clothes the character of this bird 
with sacred awe: many persons, and par- 
ticularly in the northern parts of Britain, 
are alarmed and dejected at the noise of 
its croaking, and look upon any injury 
offered to it as some forerunner of mis- 
fortune. The whole of its powers of divi- 
nation are limited; however, like those of 
the other inhabitants of the air, to a 
greater sensibility as to the changes of the 
elements, and to the expression of these 
feelings by certain cries and actions. In 
those ages when augury formed a part of 
religion, the Ravens (though bad prophets) 
could not fail to be birds of vast impor- 
tance. The fondness of prying into futu- 
rity, however dismal may be the prospect, 
has ever been a natural speculation of the 
human race. AH the various motions of 
this bird were therefore studied with the 
most scrupulous attention, the circum* 
•tanees of its flight and the tones of it* 
