220 
RAVENS. 
shot : it proved to be the female, whose young ones 
had unfortunately been hatched, and were then 
nearly fledged. For a time, the surviving parent 
hovered about the nest, uttering loud and menacing 
croakings whenever anybody approached. At length, 
however, he disappeared, and absented himself for 
two or three days, and then returned with another 
mate ; when a strange scene occurred. The poor 
half-starved nestlings were attacked without mercy 
by the stepmother ; who, after severely wounding, 
precipitated them from the nest ; two, however, were 
found at the foot of the tree with signs of life, and, 
with great care and attention, reared at the rectory, 
about half a mile distant, and, after being slightly 
pinioned, were allowed their liberty; but they seldom 
quitted the lawn or offices, roosting in a tree in the 
shrubbery. Here, however, they were soon dis- 
covered by their unnatural parents, who, for a long 
time, used to come at early dawn, and pounce upon 
them with fierce cries. This antipathy to their 
young (which by several authors has been considered 
as peculiar to Havens), has been remarked by many, 
who have not only known them to show great in- 
difference to any young ones accidentally thrown 
out of the nest, but have further ascertained that 
the parents actually devour them. 
It would appear from some passages in the Sacred 
Scriptures, that the desertion of their young had not 
escaped the observation of the inspired writers. It 
was certainly a current belief, in the olden times, 
that when the Haven saw its young ones newly 
hatched, and covered with down, it conceived such 
an aversion, that it forsook them, and did not return 
