The  young,  at  first  more  white  than  black,  are  fed  by
food  previously  prepared  in  the  craw  of  the  mother,  and
then  disgorged  by  the  bill,  nearly  in  the  manner  of  pi-
geons. The  male,  at  this  time,  doubly  vigilant  and  in-
dustrious, not  only  provides  for,  but  defends  his  family
vigorously  from  every  hostile  attack,  and  shows  a  particu-
lar enmity  to  the  Kite,  when  he  appears  in  his  neighbour-
hood, pouncing  upon  him  and  striking  with  his  bill^  until
sometimes  both  antagonists  descend  to  the  ground.  The
young  are  long  and  affectionately  fed  by  the  parents,  and
though  they  soon  leave  the  nest,  they  remain,  perching
on  the  neighbouring  rocks,  yet  unable  to  make  any  ex-
tensive flight,  and  pass  the  time  in  continual  complaining
cries,  till  the  approach  of  the  parent  with  food,  when  their
note  changes  into  crmv,  craio,  craw.  Now  and  then,  as
they  gain  strength,  they  make  efforts  to  fly,  and  then  re-
turn to  their  rocky  roost.  About  15  days  after  leaving  the
nest,  they  become  so  well  prepared  for  flight  as  to  accom-
pany the  parents  out  on  their  excursions  from  morning  to
night  ;  and  it  is  amusing  to  watch  the  progress  of  this  af-
fectionate association,  the  young  continuing  the  whole
summer  to  go  out  with  the  old  in  the  morning,  and  as
regularly  return  with  them  again  in  the  evening,  so  that
however  we  may  despise  the  appetite  of  the  Raven,  we
cannot  but  admire  the  instinctive  morality  of  his  nature.
Like  birds  of  prey,  the  Ravens  reject  from  the  stomach,
by  the  bill,  the  hard  and  indigestible  parts  of  their  food,
as  the  stones  of  fruit,  and  the  bones  of  small  fish  which
they  sometimes  eat.
