RAVEN. 
207 
daring this time the male takes care to provide her with 
abundance of nourishment. Indeed, from the quantity of 
grain, nuts, and fruits, which have been found at this time 
in the environs of the nest, this supply would appear to be a 
store laid up for future occasions. Whatever may be their 
forethought regarding food, they have a well known 
propensity to hid things which come within their reach, 
though useless to themselves, and appear to give a prefer- 
ence to pieces of metal, or any thing which has a bril- 
liant appearance. At Erfurt, one of these birds had the 
patience to carry and hide, one by one, under a stone in 
the garden, a quantity of small pieces of money, which 
amounted, when discovered, to 5 or 6 florins • and there 
are few countries which cannot afford similar instances 
of their domestic thefts. 
Of the perseverance of the Raven in the act of incuba- 
tion, Mr. White has related the following remarkable anec- 
dote : in the centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood 
a tall and shapeless oak, which bulged out into a large 
excrescence near the middle of the stem. On this tree a 
pair of Ravens had fixed their residence for such a series 
of years, that the oak was distinguished by the title of 
(t The Raven Tree.’ 7 Many were the attempts of the 
neighbouring youths to get at this nest ; the difficulty 
whetted their inclinations, and each was ambitious of 
accomplishing the arduous task ; but when they arrived at 
the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was so far 
beyond their grasp, that the boldest lads were deterred, 
and acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. 
Thus the Ravens continued to build, and rear their young 
in security, until the fatal day on which the wood was to 
be levelled. This was in the month of February, when 
these birds usually begin to sit. The saw was applied 
to the trunk, the wedges were driven, the woods echoed 
