The Ravenmaster was sweating now, little beads standing out on his forehead.

Not only do these 8 very well cared for birds have their own Ravenmaster, but are given monthly health checks by a vet.

Miss," the Ravenmaster said carefully, "I think you oughter put him down.

Ork," he agreed, but with the sense that his agreement was qualified by whatever the Ravenmaster might do in the next few moments. "

Sweating freely now, the Ravenmaster bent down, hands carefully in sight and down at his sides.

His trick was so convincing that the ravenmaster fully believed that Edgar Sopper had died.

When the ravenmaster picked up the "corpse", Edgar bit the man's finger and "flapped off croaking huge raven laughs".

One king liked the symbolism so much he installed a Ravenmaster who'se task it was to keep and breed ravens in the Tower.

The ravens are fed raw meat which is bought at Smithfield Meat Market by the Ravenmaster.

The Ravenmaster (who was another Yeoman Warder) came running up, puffing hard and rather out of breath, and stopped beside his fellow officer.

The Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the Tower of London (Scholastic, 2003)

Ezreel Tonge died in the assault, and only an intervention by the Tower's Ravenmaster and druid Morvran helped repel an attack by airborne zombies.

LEAD: An article on Wednesday about the Ravenmaster at the Tower of London misstated the year of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

The current Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster in the Tower of London is Chris Skaife who took over from Ray Stones in April 2011.

According to legend, the ravenmaster says, there were always ravens at the tower but the situation got out of hand after the Great Fire of 1666 resulted in so many unclaimed corpses lying about.

It seemed that the Ravenmaster hadn't yet got around to trimming Neville's wing feathers, for he had them all but two, so at least he wasn't going to be hampered by lack of wingspan.

An' since Neville's sire has the same summat with the Ravenmaster afore me an' went with 'im to Wight when 'e retired, I reckon it runs in the family, you might say.

In addition to nightmares over the prospect that the birds will fly the coop - according to legend, that would mean the collapse of England - the responsibility has earned the ravenmaster the British Empire Medal.

Former Assistant Ravenmaster Tom Trent has reported that the ravens appeared to be aware of the death, for they soon gathered on the Tower Green near the chapel, called out, and then became quiet, as though to pay their respects.

More precisely, he is quick to correct the misinformed, he is discussing his career as Yeoman Ravenmaster for the Queen's Ravens at Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London.

There have been attempts in modern times to link the still-current practice of keeping ravens at the Tower of London under the care of Yeomen Warder Ravenmaster with this story of Brân, whose name means Raven.

The Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster (also known as the Ravenmaster for short) is one of the Yeomen Warders who has the responsibility to maintain the welfare of the ravens of the Tower of London.

"Ollis, you was the one what told me that Neville's never been what you'd call a natural bird," the first Warder said judiciously, and with the air of a man who has done his best, he slowly turned and walked off, leaving the Ravenmaster to deal with the situation himself.

The ravenmaster feeds his charges, finds "fit and smart" replacements for them when they die, lets them out of their oak cages in the morning - they are more akin to individual apartments, with running water and lighting and a nuptial bed in the breeding cage - and puts them to bed at dusk.

In the piece by Ray Stone, the new Ravenmaster at the Tower of London (Magazine, 18 July), he repeats the old chestnut about Charles II's decree that the Tower should always have six ravens, and the legend that if the birds leave the Tower the kingdom and monarchy will fall.