The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-10-21
Some Raven Stories.

young raven from its nest, and kept il
in an outbuilding for some months til
wings were then clipped and it was al
lowed to go at large. 1t soon became
we'll known for mile around, regularly
visiting every farmhouse within that
distance whenever q pig was killed,
when it was always rewarded with some
tit-bits. After the death of it's owner
tho raven was given to 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,
but rot with the same success, for its
thigh was one day broken by some idle,
thoughtless boys, who threw stones at
it. The fracture was reduced, the raven
recovered, and then again took to ram
bling about for few weeks. when 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 fourteen miles, where it
was allowed to remain, and where it
lived many years
A writer in the Naturalist's Maya
zine saws that he remembers seeing on q
post near the Elephant and Castle Inn,
at which such multitude 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 recollected him gave several
instances of his sagacity, amongst others
that of his knowledge of and intimacy
with several of the coacAmen with his
particular favorites and friends he would
frequently take short jaunts out on the
coach to-, until he met some other
coach, whose driver he also knew, pass
ing in q 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 reekly periodical, the Sat
urdav Magazine, which from it's applica-
ton to the subject before us we here re-
peat. 1t occurred many years ago at
the Red Lion Inn, Hungeriord. A gen.
tleman who lodged there thus tells the
story Coming into the inn-yard,"
says he, "my chaise ran over and bruised
the leg of tavorlte Newfoundland dog,
and while we were examining the injury
Ralph, the raven, looked on 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.
I 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 oil 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 ais 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, but moro particularly
to MANNED or wounded ones"
But, however attentive they may be
to dogs, as in this case, or to men, as in
the preceding one, the following instance
of shrewo 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 were kept in one large
cage or pen 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-
til he saw his comrade at the further
end of the cage; he then few 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