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GENUS 13. CORVUS. CROW.
              SPECIES 1. C. COR-RX.
                        RAVEN.
                 [Plate LXXV.-Fig. 3.]
GMEL. Syst. I, p. 364.-Ind. Orn. p. 150.-Le Corbeau, BRIss. 2,
P. 8, et var.-BUFF. Ois. 3, P. 13. P1. enl. 495.-TEMM. Man.
  d' Orn. p. 107.-Rcaven. LATH. Gen. Syn. i, p. 367. Id. sup. p.
  74.-PENN. Brit. Zool. .Alo. 74. .rct. Zool. JXo. 1 34.-SHAW,
  Gen. Zool. 7, p. 341.-Bi WICK, I, P. 100.--Low, Fauna Orca-
  densis, p. 45.--PEALE'S Museum, .)Vo. 175.
  A KNOWLEDGE of this celebrated bird has been handed down
to us from the earliest ages; and its history is almost coeval
with that of man. In the best and most ancient of all books,
we learn, that at the end of forty days, after the great flood had
covered the earth, Noah, wishing to ascertain whether or not
the waters had abated, sent forth a raven, which did not return
into the ark.* This is the first notice that is taken of this spe-
cies. Though the Raven was declared unclean by the law of
Moses, yet we are informed, that when the prophet Elijah pro-
voked the enmity of Ahab, by prophesying against him, and
hid himself by the brook Cherith, the Ravens were appointed
by Heaven to bring him his daily food.f The colour of the
Raven gave rise to a similitude in one of the most beautiful of
eclogues, which has been perpetuated in all subsequent ages,
and which is not less pleasing for being trite or proverbial. The
favourite of the royal lover of Jerusalem, in the enthusiasm of
affection, thus describes the object of her adoration, in reply to
the following question:
* Genesis, viii, 7.
t I Kings, xvii, 5, 6.