11 
flying from her nest : and though her ma- 
ternal affection deserved a better fate, 
was whipped down by the twigs, which 
brought her dead to the ground/' 
The Raven is a voracious bird, and 
seems to possess many of the habits of the 
Vulture. Like that tribe it is patient in 
hunger, scents carrion afar off, gluts itself 
in the midst of plenty, retires to a short 
distance to digest what it has taken, and 
then returns again. Filth and carrion are 
its chief food. But it will also suck the 
eggs of other birds, and feed on earth 
worms, reptiles, and even shell-fish, when 
pressed by hunger. It sometimes attacks 
young rabbits, leverets, ducklings, chick- 
ens, (fee, and not unfrequently the larger 
animals, as weakly kids, and lambs, sup- 
plying its want of strength and agility by 
cunning ; it plucks out their eyes, and 
then fixing on the back of its victim, tears 
off the flesh deliberately. 
In proof of the latter fact, q it is said 
that many of these birds leave the banks 
of the Thames and go into Romney marsh 
in Kent, during the lambing season, where 
