RAVENS. 
229 
brought up with a dog, and that the affection between 
them was mutual, and all the neighbourhood had 
been witnesses of the many acts of kindness per- 
formed by the one to the other. Ralph’s friend, the 
dog, in course of time, had the misfortune to break 
his leg, and during the long period of his confine- 
ment, the Raven waited on him constantly, carried 
him his provisions, and scarcely ever left him alone. 
One night, by accident, the stable-door had been 
shut, and Ralph had been deprived of his friend’s 
company all night ; but the ostler found, in the 
morning, the door so pecked away, that had it not 
been opened, in another hour Ralph would have 
made his own entrance. The landlord not only con- 
firmed the ostler’s account, but mentioned many 
other acts of kindness, shown by this bird to all dogs 
in general, but more particularly to maimed or 
wounded ones.” 
Rut however attentive they may be to dogs, as in 
this case, or to men, as in the preceding one, the fol- 
lowing instance of shrewd cunning shows that they 
are ready enough, when it suits their interest, to trick 
each other. At the Zoological Gardens, in the Regent’s 
Park, London, two Ravens were kept in one large cage 
or pen: a visiter, passing by, threw them two pieces of 
bun, when one of them immediately jumped from 
his perch, and before his comrade could reach 
either of them, he had both secure in his beak, and 
had regained his former position on the perch, 
holding them until he saw his comrade at the fur- 
ther end of the cage : he then flew down, buried one 
of the pieces, which he carefully covered with gravel, 
and jumping back to his perch with the other piece, 
