New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-03

He chose for his roosting place the ridge OF
matched wall in very exposed place IN the allot-
ments and stuck 10 II through all weathers- Pets
usually TO q sad premature end Water
toms pet raven. Marco. persisted from a blow ot
one OF his best friends. an angry cOachman en-
whom. in a moment OF play or Of excitement. Ia
had inflicted a sharp nip So sharp and strong "a
a ravens beak that he hardly ever touch thu
hand without bringing blood and cutting rather
deep. Dtckenss pet raven. Grip. developed an
fortunate for white paint and putty and died
OF the slow poison. as is narrated in Dickenss
preface TO Barnaby Rudge.' and at greater length
in his Life by Forster. Ny pet raven, Jacob.
with the most ignoniniouS and unworthy fat+
OF all He either walked slipped into barrel OF
liquid pigs wash. and found by therein.
An open verdict OF found drowned all that
could be said about him.
Another pet raven from Niinicent CIump could
not be allowed such unfettered liberty at Harrow
as he might have had his native air Of Dorset.
He kept in large aviary. where. If his oppo7-
tunies for mischief less, his progress in Ian
guage greater. His name. Jacob and
that OF the gardener. Holloway he would repeat IN
n half dozen different tones. Come on he would
say. now in commanding. now in a hectoriug.
now in a persuasive tone. and now again In tbs
most confidential OF whispers. This last
great effort. He would bend his body right down
10 the perch which he stood open his wings. and
every feather In his body would stand erect or
would move in sympathy with II. But his pleasure
in proportion to his pain. He loved,
clever parrot does. call forth peal laughter.
and though he could not laugh hinself-it was al
most the only human achievement that he did not
attempt-his eye showed that he knew all about it,
'Iow's that? out was a question and answer
which he picked up for himself from cricket yard
at little distance,
"A bad cough. which had. he managed TO irni-
tate well that people who passed down the ad-
joining lane thought it incousiderats OF me
pose a gardener who had such hacking cough 10
all weathers in my garden. He capital
catch Blackberres thrown to hirn-as boys
throw ball TO another when practising them
selves at 'catch'-he would manage TO intercept.
whether thrown high low. quickly slowly.
from his central perch, by deXterous movement
Of his neck and beak. without shifting his
position, and hardly missing one, even its
rebound when thrown against the opposite wall O.
the cage. Morses of food given to him he would
pack. after the other. into the expansive skin
Of his lower mandibe. till II was pulled out like
pouch: and he then would look at you with queer
and knowing 'where-aret they gone-to?' sort Of
expression. When he had given you time guess.
he would gravely reproduce them one after the
other and proceed hide them in various parts OF
his cage. patting them down under sand or stones
rubbish OF any kind. and then again would dis
inter them quickly children, do a doll which
they have buried in their play. with genulns
Eureka look
The key of his cage door II 1t were left open
by chance. he would whip out In moment and
hide il in his very best hiding place, and visioE
enjoy the trouble he gave You In looking for T.
He pecked small hole into the next compartment
OF the aviary. in which kept, sometimes eas3
owl, sometimes a kestrei hawk, and II was his
owl or the keStrel, in their comparative stupidity
sometimes left near II. One day the kestrel him
self. in moment of forgeJfulneSs. came too nea,
the hole The raven caught him by the les and
II was soon all over with him.