346 Passeres. BIRDS. Corvid.*:. 
zone, the severe winters of which it is able to survive. 
It is usually an inhabitant of the wildest and most 
secluded districts, haunting the rocks of the sea-coast or 
the sides of mountains, or the forests occupying exten- 
sive plains, and from its vigilance and sagacity its 
destruction is by no means an easy matter. 
In the choice of his food the Raven is not at all par- 
ticular, but feeds indiscriminately upon everything 
capable of supplying him with nourishment ; he preys 
upon the smaller mammalia, birds, and reptiles, plunders 
birds’ nests, and devours any carrion that falls in his 
way, diversifying this sufficiently varied diet by picking 
up insects, grain, and fruits. On the coast the dead 
fish and other animal matters constantly washed up by 
the waves, furnish him with abundant nutriment. His 
Ijoldness also prompts to attack even the sickly and 
young individuals of large mammalia, and the sheep in 
mountainous districts are constantly exposed to his 
assaults. Whenever he observes an opportunity of 
securing a supply of food by this means, he commences 
by attacking the eye of his victim, and then proceeds 
to regale himself upon the flesh. When his appetite is 
satisfied, he retires to allow his food to digest, but soon 
returns for more. The remarkable instinct which leads 
the Raven and several of the other large crows to any 
spot where a supply of carrion is to be obtained, has 
often excited the wonder of naturalists ; especially as 
they frequently come together in considerable numbers 
at a spot where none were to be seen but a short time 
before. As in the case of the vultures, the means by 
which they are enabled to dete ct the existence of their 
distant food has long been a matter of dispute among 
naturalists; some thinking that they discover their 
repast by the sense of smell, and others by that of 
sight. The most probable supposition seems to be that 
put forward by Mr. M'Gillivra}^ namely, that those 
which come from a distance are induced to undertake 
their journey by observing the movements of others 
within sight of the feast. 
The voice of the Raven is a hoarse croak, and this, 
coupled with his intense black colour and the sagacity of 
his appearance, has no doubt had much to do with the 
evil reputation conferred upon this bird by the inhabi- 
tants of most countries. Almost everywhere indeed 
the Raven is regarded as a bird of ill omen, sharing 
with the owls in the superstitious horror of the ignor- 
ant. By the ancient Icelanders this bird was dedicated 
to Odin, and that deity was said to possess two ravens 
which were let loose every morning to ascertain what 
was going forward in the world, and returned at night 
to perch on Odin’s shoulders, and whisper their intelli- 
gence into his ears. Even in the present day the 
Icelanders believe that the Raven is acquainted not 
only with what is going on at a distance, but also with 
what is to happen in the future. The superstitious 
notions of other nations with regard to the Raven 
seem all to partake more or less of the Icelandic cast. 
Nevertheless, in the present day at any rate, the Raven 
is not unfrequently kept in confinement, when his 
sagacity, and love of fun and mischief, render him 
amusing. Of all British birds he is perhaps the one 
which manifests the greatest power of imitating the 
human voice, and this is the more striking as his own 
natural note is one of the least attractive in nature. 
He is also sometimes friendly with other domesticated 
animals, and has been known to attend upon a wounded 
dog with great kindness, bringing him bones, and using 
every endeavour to console the sufferer under his 
affliction. Strange dogs, however, are generally re- 
garded by him as enemies, and he is fond of giving 
them a sly nip with his powerful bill ; one of the 
favourite amusements with tame Ravens being to con- 
ceal themselves until a dog passes by, when they rush 
out and endeavour to pinch his tail. 
The nest of the Raven is built on a forked branch, 
composed of sticks, and lined with wool and hair ; the 
bird generally selects a very high tree for the reception 
of its nest, and places it among the most inaccessible 
branches. The same nest serves, with a little repair, 
for several successive seasons, and it is remarkable that 
the same trees are so constantly resorted to by these 
birds that many trees have been known as “ Raven- 
trees ” from time immemorial. 
THE CARRION CROW [Cm'vus Corone), like the 
Raven, enjoys a very wide geographical range, being 
found in all the northern parts of the eastern hemis- 
phere ; it does not, however, occur in North America, 
where its place is taken by a closely allied species. 
The Crow measures rather more than eighteen inches 
in length, and is of a black colour, glossed with violet 
and green in certain lights; the feathers covering the 
nostrils are shorter than in the Raven, and the irides 
are brown. In its general habits it resembles the 
Raven, dwelling and breeding in wooded countries, 
and feeding both upon carrion and upon small animals, 
which it captures and tears to pieces like a raptorial 
bird. To sickly sheep and lambs it is, like the Raven, 
a dangerous enemy. Its note is a hoarse croak. The 
Carrion Crow is not so frequently domesticated as the 
Raven, but when kept in captivity it displays a con- 
siderable amount of sagacity. Mr. M‘Gillivray mentions 
an example of the accurate memory of one of these 
birds which had buried a dead mole in his owner’s 
garden, covering it over so cleverly that, although he had 
been watched through the whole operation, the place 
of burial of the mole could not be discovered. He was 
excluded from the garden for nearly a week ; but on 
getting in he went directly to the spot where the mole 
was buried, and brought it out immmediately. 
THE AUSTRALIAN CROW {Corvus coronoides), the 
only known species of true Crow inhabiting Australia, 
is very nearly allied both to the Raven and the Carrion 
Crow, between which Mr. Gould regards it as inter- 
mediate. It measures about twenty inches in length, 
and is of a shining purplish black, with a greenish gloss 
on the throat. The iris is white. This bird is met 
with in every part of Australia and in Van Diemen’s 
Land ; in its general habits and voice it resembles the 
European Carrion Crow. 
THE HOODED CROW {Corvus Cor nix), a thiid 
British species of the genus Corvus, appears to have 
nearly the same geographical distribution as the Car- 
rion Crow, but is to a certain extent a migratory bird, 
breeding in the most northern countries of the eastern 
hemisphere, and only visiting the southern districts in 
the winter. Thus, even in Britain, the Hooded Crow 
