THE HAVEN. 
last, when it gave way, the bird was flung from its nest, and 
though her parental affections deserved a better fate, was 
whipped down by the twigs, which brought her dead to the 
ground.” 
Considering the affection of the raven for its young, and the 
shape and dreadful power of the raven’s beak, it was perhaps a 
fortunate thing for the adventurous Selborne youths that they 
were not able to overcome the obstacle. People who undertake 
raven-nesting wear thick leather gloves, and their faces covered 
with some impenetrable material. The nest is a mere bunch of 
hay, hair, and other similar material, about as ragged and 
twice as large and deep as a rook’s nest. The eggs are from 
four to seven in number, longer than ordinary eggs, and having 
both ends of equal size. In colour they are sea-green, splashed 
with brown and grey spots of an oblong form. 
If, however, you can procure a nest of “ squabs,” as the young 
ravens are called, they are easy enough to rear. They should 
not be more than a fortnight old when they come into your 
hands. Their diet for the first seven days should be bread and 
milk, and after that shredded meat, — no matter what sort or 
whether it be raw or cooked, — all sorts of worms, grubs, and 
cockchafers, &c» &c., till they can feed themselves. You need 
be under no apprehension but they will let you know when 
they are able to accomplish this feat. Left to their own 
resources, ravens will devour the most preposterous things, — 
soap, tallow, blacking, — anything ! I know a gentleman who 
kept a raven, and who indiscreetly left his violin case open : in 
the morning every string had vanished, together with the resin. 
Whether or no the bird’s accommodating stomach received the 
latter, or whether it was carried away and hid, was never 
known. 
The host of raven stories that might be compiled would fill 
the doomsday -book. Some time back I stumbled over one in a 
rare old black-letter book, which struck me as being interesting, 
from the simple fact that it was many hundred years old. 
I do not of course vouch for its truth, nor am I prepared to 
say that Caesar actually did encamp in the village mentioned ; 
I merely tell it as it is recorded in the letters black. 
Wlien Julius Caesar invaded Britain he encamped with his 
Roman legions, at West Wickham, in Kent. The camp was 
sore in need of water, and the legions were well nigh famished 
with thirst. Sitting at the door of his tent, Caesar observed a 
raven settle at a particular spot, and for several mornings and 
36 
