In Thibet, we read, there is an evil city of Crows, and Hiawatha is said to have known of a land of dead crowmen. The Crow, according to the old Vedas, fell from Paradise, and in Norway there is “the Hill of Bad Spirits,” where the souls of the wicked fly about in the guise of crows. Happy the present generation who are taught more toleration for “all things both great and small.” The Carrion Crow has always done good work as a scavenger, for which he has had small thanks. The poets have all combined in holding him up to execration. “My roost is the creaking gibbet’s beam Where the murderer’s bones swing bleaching; Where the clattering chain rings back again To the night-wind’s desolate screeching.” It is good to believe that “sweetness and light” are gradually getting the upper hand; and the gibbet with its ghastly burden, and most of the cruel superstitions concerning some of the most useful of God’s feathered creatures are alike a thing of the past. [Illustration] [Illustration: HARMFUL. THE RAVEN.] THE RAVEN. (_Corvus córax._) The Raven is fully one third larger than the crow. Its plumage is black, with a blue or green lustre. Tail wedge-shaped; beak large and slightly curved; the breast feathers pointed. It builds its nest in woods, on the tops of high trees; selecting most cunningly such trees as cannot be climbed. The clutch consists of four to six light green eggs with dark speckles. It flies well, and can hover in circles, and is a cunning, shy bird, always ready for plunder--but a splendid creature. It is really sad that it should allow itself to be led away to the paths of dishonesty by the sight of shining objects. It attacks everything from earth-worms to hares, plunders and steals nests, takes eggs and fledgelings, and also feeds on carrion. According to popular superstition, it first pecks out the eyes of its prey. The proverb says:--One crow does not peck out the eyes of another. Another proverb allegorically expresses the fact that the young brood are black:--It may be freely translated as follows:-- “That ravens bear not doves ’tis known, And grapes on thorn-trees ne’er have grown.” The Raven lives to a great age; it becomes tame in confinement, and can be easily taught. It even learns to speak, and can pronounce words clearly. It is the jester among the animals in the farm-yard. It sometimes happens that the black colouring matter is wanting in the plumage of the raven, and the bird is then white. This, however, occurs very rarely--so that when people wish to explain that a certain thing is quite exceptional, they speak of it as a white raven.