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CHAPTER IX. 
RAVENS OCCASIONALLY DESERT THEIR YOUNG. — PRE- 
DACIOUS HABITS. SAGACITY. VARIOUS ANECDOTES. 
CROWS AND ROOKS — CHARACTERS OF EACH. TAME 
CROW. MEETINGS OR COUNCILS OF CROWS, HERONS, 
MAGPIES, ETC. — WHETHER ROOKS ARE BENEFICIAL 
OR INJURIOUS TO THE FARMER. HARD WINTERS 
FAVOURABLE TO INSECTS. ROOKERIES. RED- 
LEGGED CROW. JACKDAWS. JAYS AND MAGPIES. 
To a superficial observer of nature, there may 
appear a much greater resemblance and connexion 
between the Raven, the Crow, the Rook, and Jack- 
daw, than we find from experience to be the case. 
At the same time, so different in outward appear- 
ance are the Jay and Magpie, that it may appear 
contrary to all rule to class them together under one 
head — but while there is a decided mark of separa- 
tion between each, and all of them in many respects, 
they neverthess are by naturalists included in the 
first section of what is called the genus or family of 
Crows. The Raven, however, from his size and 
character, naturally takes the lead. Go where we 
will over the face of the wide world, and the well- 
known hoarse croak of the Raven is still to be 
heard. He was seen perched on the bare rocks, 
looking over the dreary snows of the highest points 
visited in the Arctic Expeditions. Under the 
burning sun of the Equator, he enjoys his feast of 
carrion. He was discovered in the islands of the 
Pacific Ocean by Captain Cook ; and in the lowest 
southern, or antarctic regions, other travellers have 
