380 
The Raven 
During a day’s travel of perhaps thirty miles about the lake I saw 
at least a dozen individuals. Usually only one or two would be 
seen at a time. One that kept in front of us for some distance alight- 
ing at intervals on the posts of a barbed wire fence, carried an object 
in its beak at which it would peck and pull whenever it perched. 
Once just as it took wing my companion fired a shot from his re- 
volver with a view of startling the bird and causing it to drop its 
prey. The experiment succeeded and picking up the object we found 
it to be a section of a rabbit’s backbone about two inches in length. 
Writing of the Raven’s feeding habits Alexander Wilson said: 
“It is fond of birds’ eggs, and is often observed sneaking around 
the farm house in search of the eggs of the domestic poultry, which 
it sucks with eagerness ; it is likewise charged with destroying young- 
ducks and chickens, and lambs, which have been weaned in a sickly 
state. The Raven, it is said, follows the hunters of deer for the 
purpose of falling heir to the ofifal ; and the huntsmen are obliged 
to cover their game, when it is left in the woods, with their hunting- 
frocks, to protect it from this thievish connoisseur, who if he has 
an opportunity will attack the region of the kidneys, and maybe 
the saddle without ceremony.” 
Throughout all ages certain birds have been famous, and very 
often much significance is attached to their presence. They have 
been regarded as effecting the lives of human beings by bringing- 
joy or sorrow. Thus the Cuckoo is the ancient marriage bird ; the 
Eagle stood for strength and vigor; the Bittern represented desola- 
tion, and in our own country we have the Bluebird for happiness. 
The Raven which has a wide distribution throughout 
the world has more or less typified the coming of cab A Bird 
amity. It has been one of the favorite birds of liter- 
ature. In the ancient Hebrew writings, we find that Ill-Omen 
the Raven was the first bird that Noah sent out from: 
the Ark. When Elijah was a refugee and was hiding by the brook 
Cherith we are told that the Ravens came daily and brought him 
food. Despite the fact that it appears to have been useful to some 
of the early Hebrews, Moses wrote down in his law that this was 
an unclean bird. 
Shakespeare was fond of referring to the Raven. 
In our modern American literature surely few poems so weird or de- 
pressing has ever been written as Poe’s “Raven.” 
Two sub-species of the large Raven are recognized in this country. 
One, the American Raven, found in western United States, south to 
Guatemala, and the other, known as the Northern Raven, inhabiting 
Canada and Eastern United States. 
This and other Educational Leaflets are for sale, at 5 cents each, by the National Association 
of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City. Complete list given on request. 
