•2 G I U : Y CROW.
or fifty birds, screaming and quarrelling near tin: spot whore I had lircd the shut. On returning ami again
searching Ihe ground, we discovered liiey had su did in dragging from their hidiugqilaces seven more
Dueks. Four were cleanly picked, though the remaining three had only been sufficiently torn to render them
useless, q'bc follow ing morning we delected two more skeletons, which had previously escaped our notice. A
dozen fowl at least bad fallen to the share of the Crows at this single discharge. In addition to the remains
WE found, they had evidently got possession of three er four which dropped in a swamp, where WE had not
attempted to reach them.
With good CAUSE game-preservers look upon the whole of the Crow tribe with distrust; and the present
species may be I sidered llie worst of A bad lot. On the moors in the north they arc without exception the
most deslrnclive vermin a keeper has to contend with. They may be seen in the spring quartering the ground
like setters; and the nest of a Crouso or other game-bird, once discovered, is soon robbed of its contents.
These thieves usually hare some elevated spot to which they carry the eggs before sucking them, leaving the
empty shells lying about in dozens, as if to draw attention to their kid deeds. I have occasionally found eggs
consumed close by the nests from which they were stolen; hut I believe their most common custom is to
remove them to one of their favourite feeding-places. A pair of Crows will have several of these stations;
and Ihe number of eggs they destroy would appear incredible to any one who had not carefully watched their
proceedings. At times they will rcsorl to trees to consume their plunder. One spring, while in tho west of
Perthshire, I noticed a pair of Crows very busily engaged iu the topmost branches of some trees, in Ihe upper
part of a hireh-wood that covered a sloping hill-side. On examining the spot a day or two Liter, I discovered,
under some of the highest trees, the shells of between twenty and thirty eggs. In almost every instance it was
evident black game bad been the sufferers from their depredations. When Grey Crows attack eggs too largo
or heavy for them to carry olf conveniently, they break holes iu the shells, and extract the conieiits without
removing them. IN the nests of the White-tailed Eagle and the Osprey I have seen their work ; and [ have
also known them to destroy and subsequently devour the young of the Ooldeu Eagle after oue of the parent
birds had been shot. From observations I have made iu the Highlands, 1 believe that this species is in the
habit of visiting the nests of some of the larger birds of prey in hopes of carrying off some portion of the food
from the larder that had been stonil up for the IRSC of the young.
Though many keepers commence to trap both t h e n birds and Ravens in the autumn, I have come to the
conclusion that the time to effectually destroy all the various members of the Crow family is in early spring,
as soon its they have laid. During autumn they are simply acting the part of scavengers on the moors; and it
is only when the eggs of tho game birds appear that they are enabled to cause the slightest damage. To
expect to clear the ground before severe weather sets in is useless as well as hopeless ; the traps must shortly
cease working on account of frost; and the places of those that liave been killed will be filhtl up by fresh
arrivals before the breed ing-sea sun. I have never been able to detect the slightest harm thai these birds
inflicted on 010—0. exeepl during the time of nesting, or when the young birds were in the down. As soon as
the migrants from the far north or from the outer islands have taken their departure, and the residents have
CONUNI II 1 their preparations for breeding, then every bird that is killed down makes one less in the number
of tho robbers. To watch and shout them at their nests I have found by FAR the most effective plan. By
leaving the Crows alone till they have hatched off, ami then securing the old birds with traps when they come,
to bring fond to their young (which plan is advocated by some experienced game-preservers), I should he
of opinion that A considerable nuinlier of eggs must be lost, which might be saved by commencing operations
at TM earlier date.
IN spring these birds arc especially keen, and consequently easy to tmp. On a moor iu the west of
Perthshire I once put up two or three from a bait, while one poor victim was struggling in the trap. A
keeper in Invcrness-shire, whose veracity I can thoroughly depend on, showed me A trap where, only a day or
GREY CROW.
two previously, he had discovered a party of eight or ten authored round the hare that had Iwen used as a
bait As they were so intent on the food, with which the whole number were busily engaged, he was enabled
to crawl within range, and succeeded in stopping three or four with his two barrels. On examining the trap
he was surprised to find that oue of the Crows had lieen held a prisoner; his misfortune, however, had tait the
slightest effect iu deterring the others or impairing his appetite.
Of late years I have always made a practice of setting two or more traps to every bait, the two nearest the
quarry being placed side by side. By these menus I hnvo often secured vermin that were bill slightly held by
one of the traps, as during their struggles they have blundered into the second. Early in December lbSl,
when visiting the traps 1 had set at the carcass of a domestic cat, on a marsh iu the neigh 1 HIurhood of one of
the large broads in the east of Norfolk, I found a couple of these Crows, oue being held by each of the traps.
Having licon placed as close as possible, it is strange how ihe two had been taken. Each of the poor wretches
evidently imagined that his misfortune was due to his companion in adversity, as they were lighting
desperately when first seen. Only the previous day a Black Crow had been secured at the some spot; and this
malefactor had managed to spring both traps, and was discovered with one leg in each.
During the autumnal migration I have often met with Grey Crows on the North Sen, apparently tired
out by their long llight, and glad of a rest on any boat or vessel they might meet in their course. These
birds, according to my observations, seldom fly in very large flocks. Ten or a dozen may now and then he
seen together; hut for Die most part they make their passage in small straggling parties. I have frequently
noticed as many as fifty or sixty in view at the same time from the deck of the steamboat, though perhaps not
more than three or four would be keeping company. Two Grey Crows and a Jarkilaw, w hich had Mlowed us
one day in a thick fog for a considerable distance, at last settled on one or the paddle-boxes. A shot or two
which I fired at some Ganuets at first greatly alarmed them, and one of tho Crows beat a speedy retreat ; it
soon, however, returned; and after a time they got used to the noise of the shooting and the shouts or the
men who were fishing, and stalked gravely about on the bridge, evidently taking parlieukir notice of what
was going on. Towards dusk the wind freshened, and the pitching ami rolling of the steamboat appeared to
vith them, as, after looking very miserable for some time in their vain attempts to keep their looting
if the combined effects of wind and sleet, together with the constant breaking of the spray, they at
last took a reluctant farewell, flying slowly against a head w iud towards the laud.
From what I have observed in the North Sea, I should he of opinion tliat some of the larger migratory
birds (such as Hooks, Crows, and Jackdaws) arc by no means so neat her wise as their smaller feathered
relative*. I find the following entry in my notes for 1*7:!, under date of Octuher 10, nt n Inch time I was
cruising in the North Sea lor the express purpose of watching the migration
'• lb72, Oct. 10. I did not oliserve any small birds crossing, though I kept a constant look-out; and we
met with only a few straggling parties of Grey Crows and three or four small flocks of Books during the rnrly
part or the day. While steaming out, we passed several drowned Hooks and one or two Grey Crows floating
on the water, alioul fifteen miles from the land. Soon after midday the weather came on thick and squally
from the south-west ; and towards night it blew strong, with drifting rain. The small birds bad probably been
aware of the rough weather approaching, and had not attempted to make their passage in face of it. Next
day several of the more venturesome Hooks were washing about a lew miles off the land. In the afternoon,
while on the beach at Yarmouth, I noticed a small hkick-coloured bird swimming in the Roads ; and having no
glasses with me, I look it lo lie a Little Auk. Sin ally after, the bird was picked up by a shore-boat, when my
Little Auk turned out to be an unfortunate Jackdaw. A couple more (both dead) were floating at a short
The note iff the Crey Crow is usually allowed to lie a harsh and most nnmelodious croak. The
citinordinary sounds, however, that the spccii-s is capable of pr.iduciiig when excited ought to be heard iu