, 1880-10-15
Some Raven Stories.

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Cbapel.le.Frith in Derbyshire, took q
voung raven from its nest, and kept it
IN an outbuilding for some months its
wings were then clipped and it was al!
lowed to go Tat large, ~ 1t soon became
we'll known for Q mile around, regularly
visiting every farmhouse within that
distance whenever pig was killed,
when it was always rewarded with some
tit.bits. After the death of its owner
the raven was giperto a surgeon, resi-.
dent in stockport, cheshire, who kept
it chained by the leg for about twelve
months; he then gave it its liberty, and
as before it wandered about near home,
hut rot with the same success, for its
thigh vas one day broken by some idle,
tbounhtlessL boys, who threw stones at
it. The fracture was reduced, the raven
recovered, and then again, took to ram
blinsg abouts forSa few weeks. whsn~it
disappeared altogether, and was sup
posed to have met with an untimely end
when about fortnight after it had
been missed, the news arrived of its safe
return to its old residence, at Chapel-le-
Firth, distant Observation-Disclosures it
was allowed to remain, and where it
lived many years, ...... ma
A writer in the Naturalist's Maga-
zine says that he remembers seeing on a
post near the Elephant and Castle Inn,
at which.such d mult,tude of coaches
used to stop, an inscription on "Ralph," :"
a raven Of great celebrity, who had been
in his days distinguished member OF
the Elephant and Castle establishment.
Those who resollected him gave several
instances of his sagacity, amongst others
that.of his knowledge of and intimacy
with several Of. the lcoachmens with his
particular favorites and friends he would
frequently take short jaunss out on the
coach to3, until he met some other
coach, whose driver he also knew, pass.
ING in a homeward direction, when he
would Immediately change coaches and
return. .....
A still more curious anecdote OF at
tachment and observation in ravens is
given in the yeekly periodical, the Sat
urday Magazine, which from its applica-
ton to the subject before us we here re-
peat. 1t occurred many years ago at
the Red Lion Inn, Hungeriord. Agen-
tleman who lodged there thus tells the
story: "Coming into the inn.yard,"
says he, "my chaise ran over and bruised
the leg of tavorite Newfoundland dog,
and while we were examining the injury
Ralph, the raven, looked en- also, and
was evidently making his remarks on
what was doing; for the minute the
dog was tied up under the manger with
my horse, Ralph not only visited him,
but brought him bones, and attended
him with particular marks Of kindness.
/ observed it to the ostler, who told me
that the bird had been brought up with
the dog, and that the affection between
them was mutual, and all the neighbor-
hood had been witnesses Of the many
acts of kindness performed by the one
to the other. Ralph's friend, the dog,
in course of time had the misfortune to
break his leg, and during the long pc
riod Of his confinement the raven waited
on him constantly, carried him his pro-
visions, and scarcely ever left him alone.
One night, by accident, the stable door
had been shut, and Ralph had been de-
prived of his friends company all night;
but the ostler found in the morning the
door SO pecked away that had it not been
opened, in another hour Ralph would
have made his own entrance, The land
lord not only confirmed the ostler's &C
count, but mentioned many other acts
of kindness shown by this bird to all
dogs in general, out more particularly
to manned or wounded ones" ~ &H
But, however attentive they may be
to dogs, as in this case, or to men, as in
the preceding one, the following instance
OF shrewd cunning shows that they are
ready enough, when it suits their inter
ests, to trick each other AT the Zoolog-
ical Gardens, in the Regents Park, Lon
don, two ravens we're kept in one large
cage or pen a visitor passing by threw
them two pieces Of bun, when one Of
them Immediately jumped from his
perch and before his comrade could
reach either Of them he had both secure
in his beak, and had regained his former
position on the perch, holding them un-
I'll he saw his comrade at the further
end of the cage; he then flew down, bur-
led one of the pieces, which he carefully
covered with gravel, and jumping back
to his perch with the other piece, de
voured it, He then hoped down for
the other piece, and regaining his perch
a second time, consumed that, much to
the annoyance Of his companion, whom
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