228 
RAVENS, 
where it was allowed to remain, and where it still 
lives. 
A writer in the Naturalist's Magazine says, that 
he remembers, about fourteen years ago, seeing on 
a post near the Elephant and Castle inn, at which 
such a multitude of coaches stop, an inscription on 
66 Ralph/' a Raven of great celebrity, who had been 
in his days a distinguished member of the Elephant 
and Castle establishment. Those who recollected 
him gave several instances of his sagacity, amongst 
others that of his knowledge of, and intimacy with, 
several of the coachmen ; with his particular favour- 
ites and friends, he would frequently take short 
jaunts out, on the coach top, until he met some 
other coach, whose driver he also knew, passing in a 
homeward direction, when he would immediately 
change coaches and return. 
A still more curious anecdote of attachment and 
observation in Ravens, we have given in our weekly 
Periodical, the Saturday Magazine , which, from its 
application to the subject before us, we here repeat. 
It occurred many years ago, at the Red Lion inn, 
Hungerford ; a gentleman who lodged there thus 
tells the story : — u Coming into the inn-yard," says 
he, u my chaise ran over and bruised the leg of a 
favourite Newfoundland dog, and while we were 
examining the injury, Ralph, the Raven, looked on 
also, and was evidently making his remarks on what 
was doing ; for, the minute my dog was tied up 
under the manger, with my horse, Ralph not only 
visited him, but brought him bones, and attended 
him with particular marks of kindness. I observed 
it to the ostler, who told me that the bird had been 
