| plish-blue. 
in kh Nh I RN RR RN Re rk RT nl Rn Abies 
24 RAUWOLFIA. 
rolla and a smooth, ribbed, bladdery calyx, and 
bloom from June till August. This plant is far 
more a weed than a member of the grass lands 
which it inhabits; and it is disliked by cattle, 
both in the green state and in the state of hay. 
The larger or bushy yellow rattle, Khinanthus 
major, grows in corn fields in various parts of 
Britain, particularly in the north of England. 
It is annual, and has commonly a height of about 
3 feet, and blooms in July and August; and it 
has more abundant branches than the preceding, 
narrower leaves, and smaller yellow flowers, with 
a purple upper lip. 
RATTLER. See Aspzn. 
RATTLESNAKE ROOT. See Miixworr. 
RAUWOLFIA. A genus of curious, tropical, 
evergreen, ligneous plants, of the dog’s bane 
order. Three species with white flowers, and 
one with pink flowers, all propagable from cut- 
tings, and varying in height from 3 to 14 feet, 
have been introduced to British collections; and 
8 or 9 more are known. 
RAVEN. The largest of the crow-family re- 
sident in Britain. Its body is of an ovate form, 
rather bulky; the neck strong, and of a moder- 
ate length ; the head large and oblong; the bill 
rather long, deep, and nearly straight; the feet 
of moderate length and ordinary strength. The 
plumage is compact and highly glossed; the 
wings long and much rounded; as is the tail. 
The bill and feet are black; the plumage deep 
black, with splendent reflections of rich pur- 
The length of the male is twenty- 
six inches, and its extended wings measure fifty- 
two. 
The raven is a remarkably grave and sedate 
bird, and is equally noted for sagacity and pru- 
dence. It is crafty, vigilant, and shy, so as to 
be with great difficulty approached, unless in 
the breeding season, when its affectionate con- 
cern for its young, in a great measure, overcomes 
its habitual dislike to the proximity of man; a 
dislike which is the result of prudence more 
than a mere timidity ; for, under particular cir- 
cumstances, it will not hesitate to make advances 
which a timorous bird would deem extremely 
hazardous. It eats from off the same carcass 
as a dog, and takes its station close to an otter 
devouring its prey, doubtless because its vigi- 
lance and activity suffice to enable it to elude 
their efforts to inflict injury upon it; and while 
it yields to the eagle, it drives away the hooded 
crow and the gull. It knows the distance, too, 
at which it is safe from a man armed with a 
gun, and allows the shepherd and his dogs to 
come much nearer than the sportsman. It never 
ventures to attack a man plundering its nest, 
and rarely pretends to be crippled, in order to 
draw him away from it, but stands at a distance, 
looking extremely dejected, or flies over and 
around him, uttering now and then a stifled 
croak indicative of anger and anxiety. When 
searching for food on the ground, it generally 
RAVEN. 
| walks with a steady and measured pace; but 
under excitement, it occasionally leaps, using its 
wings at the same time, as when driven from 
carrion by a dog, or when escaping from its fel- 
lows with a fragment of flesh or intestine. Its 
flight is commonly steady and rather slow, and 
is performed by regularly timed beats of its ex- 
tended wings; but it can urge its speed to a 
great degree of rapidity, so as to overtake an 
eagle, or even a hawk, when passing near its 
nest. In fine weather it often soars to a vast 
height,in the manner of the birds just mentioned, 
and floats, as it were, at ease, high over the 
mountain tops. Some naturalists having ob- 
served birds thus engaged, have imagined them 
to be searching for food, and have consequently 
amused their readers with marvellous accounts 
of the distances at which the eagle can spy its 
prey; but had they patiently watched, they 
might have found that the quict soarings of the 
raven and the rapacious species have no refer- 
ence to prey. On the other hand, it may some- 
times be observed gliding along, and every now 
and then shifting its course, in the heaviest 
gales, when scarcely another bird can be seen 
abroad. Although there is not much reason for 
calling it “the tempest-loving raven,” it would 
be a severe storm indeed that would keep it at 
home, when a carcass was in view. 
In the Hebrides, where this bird is much more 
abundant than in any other part of Britain, it 
may be seen either singly or in pairs, searching 
for food, along the rocky shores, on the sand- 
fords, the sides of the hills, the inland moors, 
and the mountain tops. It flies at a moderate 
height, proceeding rather slowly, deviating to 
either side, sailing at intervals, and seldom ut- 
tering any sound. When it has discovered a 
dead sheep, it alights on a stone, a peat bank, or 
other eminence, folds up its wings, looks around, 
and croaks. It then advances nearer, eyes its 
prey with attention, leaps upon it, and, in a half- 
crouching attitude, examines it. 
ters as it wished, it croaks aloud, picks out an 
eye, devours part of the tongue, if that organ be 
protruded ; and, lastly, attacks the abdomen. By 
this time another raven has usually come up. 
They perforate the skin, drag out and swallow 
portions of the intestines, and continue to feast 
until satiated or disturbed. In autumn it some- 
times commits great havoc among barley, and in 
spring occasionally destroys young lambs. It has 
also been accused of killing diseased sheep by 
picking out their eyes. It annoys the house- 
wives by sometimes flying off with young poul- 
try, and especially by breaking and sucking, or 
rather gobbling eggs, which the ducks or hens 
may have deposited, as they frequently do, among 
the herbage. 
The voice of the raven is a hoarse croak, re- 
sembling the syllables crock, cruck, or chrro; but 
it also emits a note not unlike the sound of a 
sudden gulp, or the syllable cluck, which it seems 
Finding mat- | 
