and sickly sheep, picking out their eyes, and leaving them to a miserable lingering death. In addition to these, eggs, grain, grubs, reptiles, and shelled mollusks are among the articles of its bill of fare. It sometimes visits the sea-shore in search of putrid fish and animal exuviæ.

The favourite resorts of this bird are bold mountain precipices, where, in some inaccessible ledge, or as has been seen, on the branches of some stunted yew-tree, starting as it were out of the rifts of the tremendous precipice, it builds its nest, occupying the same spot for a long succession of years. In districts where the character of the scenery is different, it makes its nest in tall trees, which it annually visits for the same purpose. The nest is formed of sticks, and lined with wool. The eggs, from five to seven in number, are of a dark green, blotched with black. Ravens are generally seen, like the Crow, in pairs, but sometimes during the winter in small companies of eight or ten; their flight is high, and they often wheel and tumble in the air. This bird, arrayed in glossy blue-black plumage, is often kept tame, and soon becomes very familiar; often, indeed, mischievously so, from its propensity to secrete glittering articles, as keys, glass, silver, and the like; nor are eggs or the poultry of the yard quite secure from its incursions. It is very daring in self-defence. Mr. Thompson states that one which lived in the yard attached to the chief inn at Antrim for about fifteen years, had occasional encounters with game-cocks brought thither to engage it, and bets were pending on the issue. The Raven in every instance proved the victor; it avoided the blows of the

cock, and acted only on the defensive until it could manage to lay hold of the cock's head, which was in an instant crushed in its powerful beak, its antagonist falling lifeless on the ground.

The Rook (Corvus frugilegus) is spread over the greater portion of Europe, wherever suitable districts invite its colonization. Wooded and cultivated tracts of country are its favourite haunts, and it is specially abundant in our sea-girt island. It is singularly gregarious in its habits, large flocks being constantly seen dispersing themselves over pastures and cornfields in search of their peculiar food. Where the plough turns up the underlying soil, or the harrow tears open the unbroken clods, there they are seen picking up the grubs, the larvae of the chaffer-beetle (Melolantha vulgaris) and of the Harry-long-legs (Tipula oleracea), both very destructive to the roots of grain and clover. In this respect they render to the farmer great service, far outweighing the mischief they may do in fields where the young wheat just shows itself above the ground, or by picking up the recently planted "sets" of potatoes, to the injury of the crop. Indeed, the name of Corn-eater or Corn-gatherer (frugilegus) is inappropriately given to the Rook, for Mr. Selby affirms that in all places where Rooks have been exterminated, there very great injury has resulted to corn and other crops, from the devastation made by the grub and caterpillar being unchecked. Sometimes, undoubtedly, the Rook does much damage in gardens, from its fondness for pears and cherries when ripe, stripping the trees entirely; also from its partiality for walnuts. But careful watching at the proper time

will prevent all the mischief which this bird commits, and thus secure its invaluable services without being subjected to its depredations. When on their foraging excursions, Rooks display much cunning and precaution; they appoint sentinels to take their station at various posts around the main body, and at the cry of any of these all rise upon the wing and sail away. The appearance of a gun is sufficient to disturb them, and hence it is said that "rooks smell powder." On the approach of evening, long strings of the birds may be seen at a considerable elevation wending their way to their roosting-place. In early spring they are all on the alert, busy in their rookery, repairing the old nests and building new ones; all is noise and bustle, and numerous are the squabbles about the right of sticks and wool, till the nests are all finally completed. When the females begin to lay, they are fed by the males, and, as Gilbert White says, receive their bounty with a fond tremulous voice and fluttering wings, and all the little blandishments that are expressed by the young in a helpless state. This gallant behaviour of the males is continued during the whole season of incubation.

In the genus Corvus, as exemplified in the common Carrion Crow (Corvus corone), the bill is somewhat lengthened and strong, and well suited for digging into the ground, or for pushing or breaking hard substances; the tip of the upper mandible slightly inflexed over the lower; obsoletely or not at all notched; culmen elevated, and slightly curved from the base. Nostrils covered and concealed with stiff, lengthened, incumbent bristles. The wings long and pointed; the

first, second, and third quills graduated. Tail even, or slightly rounded.

As their food is principally found upon the ground, they are provided with strong walking feet; and as they are gregarious and breed together in large societies on the tops of the loftiest trees for greater safety, the structure of their feet is such as to give them stability on such an elevated and slender perch. The foot of the true ground bird has the hallux, or hind toe, elevated on the tarsus above the articulation of those in front, and the lateral toes are of equal size, and the claws are less curved than in the perching birds. The birds of this genus which do not resort to the ground, as the Jays, exhibit a more arboreal character of foot, having the lateral toes unequal in length, and the claws have a greater degree of curva

ture.

The plumage of the Carrion or common Black Crow is entirely black, with few or no metallic reflections. It is a foul and miscellaneous feeder, as its name imports, and is very generally distributed.

Carrion Crows nestle in trees, generally in more retired places and farther apart from each other than Rooks. They generally pass the summer in extensive forests, from which they occasionally emerge to procure subsistence for themselves and their infant brood. They feed on flesh, eggs, worms, insects, and various kinds of grain, but they are particularly fond of carrion. In spring they greedily devour the eggs of partridges and quails, and are so dexterous as to pierce them and carry them on the point of their bill to their young; even fish and fruit are not unsuitable

to their palate. They often attack the eyes of dying animals, destroy weakly lambs, and, when pressed with hunger, will even pursue birds on the wing. They are notorious for the havoc which they occasion among game and poultry, and in rabbit-warrens, where they kill and devour the young. When hens lay their eggs in hedge bottoms or farm-yards, Crows are often caught in the act of devouring them; but when they happen to be satiated, they will frequently hide their food till hunger becomes more urgent.

During the winter these birds consort with the Rooks and Hooded Crows, and sometimes intermingle with the latter, so as to give rise to a hybrid race. In this season, numerous flights of various species of the first genus assemble about our dwellings, keeping much on the ground, sauntering much about the flocks and shepherds, hovering near the tracks of the la bourers, and sometimes hopping on the backs of pigs and sheep, with such apparent familiarity that they might be mistaken for domestic birds. At night they retire into the forests to lodge among the large trees, resorting to the general rendezvous from every quarter, sometimes from the distance of nine miles all around, whence they again sally out in the morning in quest of subsistence.*

As they are exceedingly cunning, have an acute scent, and commonly fly in large flocks, it is difficult to get near them, and still more so to decoy them into snares. Many contrivances have been resorted to to destroy them; the most innocuous as well as ludicrous in its effect is the following:-A piece of paper is

* British Cyclopædia.