Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
How a Flock of Hungry Ravens Attacke
and Nearly Killed a Dog.

and Nearly Killed q Dog.
The Echo dc la Zronticre, q journal of
the Department Of the North, recently
gave an account of a remarkable oc-
currence in that part of the country.
Tt was to the effect that some ravens
that were starving during the snowy
weather of January had pounced upon
a dog and devoured him. Wishing to
assure ourselves of the truth of the
statement, we wrote directly to the
Superintendent of the Saint Albert
glassWorks, who, at our request, kindly
gave us some accurate data upon the
subject. We reproduce a portion of
his letter:
My dog, which was a long-haired
Scotch terrier, was playing with some
other dogs in a field adjoining the
works, when he was attacked by some,
ravens that were doubtless famished.
He was about two hundred feet from
the building when the workmen saw
him surrounded by the birds. There were
at least one hundred,of the latterin the
field, but only about thirty of them had
attacked him. These at first su rround-
ed him on every side, but SOC divided
into two bands. Some flew in front of
the dog, others behind him, pushing
him forward. Those in front of him
o to a height of about six feet and
swooped down upon him, and always
struck him in the same place. The
dog, which had at first tried to defend
himself, endeavored to escape, but the
ravens in front and behind prevented
him, and kept continually lacerating
him with their bills. They had put out
one of his eyes, had made adeep wound
in his neck, and would certainly have
picked him to pieces upon the spot had
not a boy of the establishment been
sent to bis relief by the workmen.
When the dog was picked up, the
ravens, far from flying away, remained
near the earth, rather aggressive than
timorous. They remained for some
time at the spot whence their prey had
been taken, while the boy ran to the
work with the poor faithful dog, which
had to be killed two days afterward,
on account of his wounds.
This account gives a striking example
of the terrible fight for life that all
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take against each other here below in
order to exist. It also shows how
much temerity and audacity the
cruel necessities of hunger will some
times inspire an animal with.
1t will be seen that the way in which
the dog was attacked may be cited in
support of the ravens intelligence.
These bands of assailants, separated
into two camps of observation, in tho
midst of which some individual as
saulted the victim, certainly obeyed an
organized plan Of attack.
Count Wodzicki, in his book named
"The Alps" has, as a conscientious
observer, described the habits of raw
ems, and he tells us that he has several
times seen these birds devouring a hare,
that they had pursued, after charming
it with their croakings and forcing It
to hide in the ground.
AS well known. ravens, which among
birds play the same part the fox does
among mammals, sometimes eat barn
yard fowls; but it had never been heard
that they were capable of giving battle
to a dog, even of quite small size. The
fact has appeared to us of interest to
put upon record. 1t shows that during
winter, when the ground is covered
with snow, these birds may prove dan
gerous. These audacious plundercrs
might perhaps, under other circum.
stances, attack a wounded child, Just
as they did the dog of the Aniche
glasswcrks.-La Nature.
The other day a Newark On. J.)
physician, who suspected that some
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