78 
THE RAVEN. 
i i 
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and various evolutions in the air. When divination formed a 
portion of the popular belief in Europe, this bird was held in 
considerable repute. Trouble was even taken to study its 
actions and all the circumstances attending its flight, and the 
various modulations of its voice. Of these, sixty-four different 
variations were enumerated, without including the more deli¬ 
cate intonations, exceedingly difficult to distinguish, to detect 
which, however, an excessively fine ear was requisite, as its 
cry, crock and cruck , is so simple! Every distinct change had 
its peculiar signification, and there were not wanting people 
xv\\p studied to acquire this knowledge, while others carried 
their folly so far as to believe that, by eating the heart and 
viscera of this bird, they could acquire its prophetic powers. 
The raven may be said to possess a social disposition; for, 
after the breeding season has passed, flocks are often seen in 
the northern parts of Europe and the adjacent islands, amount- j 
mg to one or more hundreds. These birds can perceive an 
object, as a dead carcass, at a great distance, but that they can 
A smell carrion a quarter of a mile off, we have no satisfactory ^ 
-:--—-- mm 
4 
