208 
OMNIVOROUS EIRDS. 
to the heavy blows of the beetle or mallet, and the tree 
nodded to its fall ; but still the devoted Raven sat on. 
At last, when it gave way, she was flung from her an- 
cient eyry ; and, a victim to parental affection, was whip- 
ped down by the twigs, and brought lifeless to the ground. 
The young, at first more white than black, are fed by 
food previously prepared in the craw of the mother, and 
then disgorged by the bill, nearly in the manner of pi- 
geons. The male, at this time, doubly vigilant and in- 
dustrious, not only provides for, but defends his family 
vigorously from every hostile attack, and shows a particu- 
lar enmity to the Kite, when he appears in his neighbour- 
hood, pouncing upon him and striking with his bill, until 
sometimes both antagonists descend to the ground. The 
young are long and affectionately fed by the parents, and 
though they soon leave the nest, they remain, perching 
on the neighbouring rocks, yet unable to make any ex- 
tensive flight, and pass the time in continual complaining 
cries, till the approach of the parent with food, when their 
note changes into craw , craw , craw. Now and then, as 
they gain strength, they make efforts to fly, and then re- 
turn to their rocky roost. About 15 days after leaving the 
nest, they become so well prepared for flight as to accom- 
pany the parents out on their excursions from morning to 
night ; and it is amusing to watch the progress of this af- 
fectionate association, the young continuing the whole 
summer to go out with the old in the morning, and as 
regularly return with them again in the evening, so that 
however we may despise the appetite of the Raven, we 
cannot but admire the instinctive morality of his nature. 
Like birds of prey, the Ravens reject from the stomach, 
by the bill, the hard and indigestible parts of their food, 
as the stones of fruit, and the bones of small fish which 
they sometimes eat. 
