The Sun.
London, England, 1829-07-22 00:00:00

HABITS OF THE RAVEN.

The raven (corvus corns), is a rare bird in

;he eastern and more cultivated parts of Scot.-

land, but in the Highlands, and especially in the
Hebrides, is of very common occurrence. It
there builds its nest in inaccessible rocks early in
March, and protects it against all intruders with
great courage. If au eagle happens to come in
sight, the raven is sure to be after him ; and, al-
though it does not actually pounce upon its for-
midable antagonist, it so harasses him by attempts
to peck at him, that the latter, less agile and
courageous, is glad to get out of the way as fast
as possible. For this reason, ravens are never
destroyed on sheep farms, as they are sure to
keep off all the eagles from their neighbourhood.
At the same time, they never molest the rock

pigeons and cormorants that nestle in the same
rocks. The food of the raven is carrion of all
kinds, shell-fish, insects, grubs, and grain. In
autumn they sometimes do considerable damage
to the barley. It is truly surprising to see with
what rapidity ravens congregate from all parts of
a district when a carcase occurs. In a district

there may perhaps be a family half a mile from
the spot, another half a mile farther off; and so
on. A few minutes perhaps after the sheep has
fallen, or the fish has been cast ashore, a solitary
raven makes his appearance. In a few minutes
more another comes, another and another ; and
if the carcase be that of a'large animal, scores of
them may be seen about it. When a whale or a
grampus is cast ashore, hundreds of ravens col-
lect from all quarters, and on such occasions
visitants arrive that have probably travelled a
hundred miles. When a raven falls upon a dead
animal, the first thing he does is to light near it,
and inspect it curiously, first turning one side of
his head to it and then the other. He then hops
a little nearer ; stops and looks at it•; then a
little nearer ; and at length mounts twon it. He
then picks out the eyes. The next part that he
falls to, if it be a quadruped, is what anatomists
call the perineum. He then bores it to the ab-
domen, and drags out the intestines. In the
meantime he has got helpers in plenty, and the
flesh quickly disappears. About a whale they
remain for many weeks, and the last putrid
morsel seems as savoury as the first, for all is
picked to the bare bones.—Edinburgh Literary
Gazette.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON MARKETS.

(From the London New Price Current of yesterday.)
SUGARS.—The demand for Muscovades list week was
apparently languid, but the buyers took off privately much
larger parcels than what generally transpired ; they were
estimated to exceed 2,800 hhds. and trs. The stock of
West India Muscovades is 6,251 hhds. and trs. more than
last year. The weekly deliveries continue to be much less
than those of 1828 ; last week 2,992 hhds. asd tre., being
859 less than during tl-e corresponding week of last year.
At the close of the Market the estimated purchases this day,
including the Barbadoes public sale, were 1,000 Marls. and
trs. The Refined Market was very dull last week, and as
there was a small accumulation of good, several of the
holders pressed sales by submitting to prices a shade lower,
but generally the trade was without variation, and the de •
mand limited. There is no alteration in the Refined
Market this afternoon ; some low Lumps sold at 735.
EAST INDIA SUGAR.—There were few purchases by
private contract last week. The public sale on Friday,
7,318 bags Mauritius of a very bad quality; they went off
heavily at prices ls. a 2s. under. any previous sale. By
public sale this day 6,204 bags Mauritius Sugar, of a
better quality than the sale last week ; the whole sold
freely, the brown at full prices, the strong grey a shade
hither, yellow 6d. to Is. lower.
FOREIGN SUGARS.—The purchases were extensive by
p iea'e coot, a,. t last week ; 1,000 chests White at an aver-
a:4e of 48s. ; 300 Pernams formerly taken in at public
sale were disposed of, sound brown and yellow at 205.,
damaged at 175., sound white low to middling 305., da-

waged 245.
FRUIT.—The Fruit at Market is held with more firm-
ness; there are now no parcels of Cephalonia Currants
offering at 77e.
TOBACCO.—There are cargoes of Tobacco offering, brit
no sake have yet been reported. A parcel of 50
Maryland is reported to be sold for Portugal.
INnrco.—The East India sale of Indigo went off
steadily at nearly the first day's price till the Indigo of the
East India Company was put up, when there was a great
inci ease in the demand, the buyers having paid particular
attention to the latter, anticipating that it would be pe-
remptorily sold ; the prices were also a shade higher.
There his been a thin attendance of country buyers, but
the orders for export were believed to be of some extent.
At the close of this day 5,200 chests have passed the sale :
only 800 to be sold ; it will close to-morrow. The sale
latterly has been at higher prices than at the commence-.
ment, owing in some measure to the quantity bought in
by the proprietors; yesterday, and this day particularly,
a large proportion has been taken in. The Bengal is at last
sale's prices to sd. discount ; Madras at 6d. discount, and
Oude at last sale's prices. The 250 Berens Guatemala In-
digo sold to-day 4d. above last sale's prices.
COFFEE.—The public sales last week consisted of about
8(40 casks, 200 bags British Plantation, 3,161 bags East
India; the Jamaica from fine ordinary to ordinary mid •
filing sold at a reduction of Is. a 25., but were taken in
large parcels for export and on speculation, all other de-
scriptions sold at full market prices and with more spirit ;
Dominica and Demerara went off with some briskness at
former prices ; the Ceylon Coffee sold 325. 6(1., being a
shade lower ; the Cherihon at 345. 6d. being full market
rates. Several considerable parcels were taken off by pri-
vate contract, when the buyers could purchase a shade
under the market rates. By public sale this forenoon' 424
casks and bags British Plantation ; 533 hags Foreign,
the latter consisted of St. Domingo and Havannah de-
scriptions ; the Havannah good ord. small brown berry
sold 345. and 345. 6d., good ordinary St. Domingo taken
in at 34e. ; the British PlantatiOn was chiefly good Jamaica,
which sold freely at full market rates. The-Coffee Market

•
is steady.
RUM, BRANDT, AND HOLLANDS.-The contract with
Government, of which we gave the particulars last Tues-
day,,has had an unfavourable effect on the market, on ac-
count of the low prices which it was contracted at ; the
sales since are 240 puns. Leeward proofs at Is. 10d.,
and parcels free on board at is. I ld. a Is. llid. ; several
parcels of strong Jamaica, 28 a 32 over, sold 2s. I Id. a
3s. 2d. In Brandy or Geneva there was no alteration.
At a late hour some under-proof Leewards sold at ls. 9d.
HEMP, FLAX, AND TALLOW.—The 'Dillow Market is
rather more firm, and the prices are a shade higher, owing
in some measure to the advance at St. Petersburgh; in
Hemp or Flax there is no material alteration. The letters
from St. Petersburgh of the Bth inst. state the Exchange
10/3-d. Sales of Tallow 4,000 at 100 rubles, and 400 at
101 rubles.

CORN.-The weather was very bad the latter end of last
week, and caused some alarm for the wheat crop, and we
had a good many country buyers here yesterday ; but the
day being very fine, much less business was done than
was expected. Of English Wheat there was very little
here; fine qualities of Foreign obtained 2s. a 35., and in-
ferior parcels Is. a 25., advance upon last Monday's cur-
rency. Barley is very scarce) and being wanted.for ship-
ping, was Is. dearer. The Oat trade was very heavy ;
the supplies are large, and sales very sloiv, at about last
Monday's prices. Beans, in con-equence of bad reports or
the crop, were inquired for, at Is. per quarter advance.
In Peas no alteration. Foreign Flour in barrels is Is.
dearer., . Trefoil has Leen a brisk sale, at an advance of

Ss. per cwt. White Clover is also in demand, and truck
be noted 2s. per cwt. higher. Red fully supports pricks.
ASH es. —At public sale the hest Pearl Ashes 501 d at
325. ; Puts at 30s.
SEA I. SK INS. —About 180,000 Seal Skins have latell
been sold 20s. a 345. 3d. partly from the United State'
and partly from the Falkland Islands, the latter from an
outport.
Hors.—The accounts from the Hop plantations state.
that there are new and strong shoots of Hops, but the ver-
min increase and follow them ; the duty, which had 0-
vanced to 35,000/. has again fallen to 32,0001. In the,
prices of Hods there is little variation since Tuesday last.
On.s.—Oils are little varied—Rape Oil rather higher.
CorroN.—Sales last week : 130 Surat, Sid. 'a 41d•i
170 Bengal, 4id. a 41,1. ; 20 Peru, 7d. ; 320 Egypt'
6,1 d. ; 40 Orleans, 6 1. ; 30 Bowed, 5-id.
RicE.—There is rather more demand for Rice, and the
prices are a shade higher; 1,034 bags Madagascar Rhg.
sold 7s. 6,1. a Bs. 6d.

IRISH PitovistoNs.—ln Irish Provisions there are TO
alterations woi th reporting. The arrivals of Butter are
3,414 fil kins Irish, 5,175 casks Foreign ; of Bacon 2,165
bales.

TEA.—The same languor prevails in the Market which,
we lately noticed, and the operations are extremely limited.
Woor..—By public sale on Friday 242 bales New South,
Wales Wool sd. to 2s. lii. per lb. ; 79 bales Cape Wool.
7d. a Is. IP. per lb. ; 10 bales German Fleeces Is. 7,11,
a 2s. ; 262 hales withdrawn, owing to detention on board
ship. By public sale on Saturday 177 hues Russia W„ td
24 d. a 44 d. ; six bales German Wool Is. 2.id. a Is. 34-11.;
13 hales Foreign Wool 3d. a Sd. ; 525 bales New S;;01.11
Wales Wool sd. a Is. Sd. The whole sold with anima'
tion and at higher prices than anticipated, owing to the -
low Wools of Germany havieg been purchased for the
Netherland manufacturers.