in which case the annual addition of fresh materials makes
a structure of huge hulk. Sticks, heather, roots, turf, seaweed,
hones—in short, almost anything that the birds can
find and carry—are built into its foundation and outworks ;
but, however large these may be, the interior is always a cup
lined with moss, wool, fur, hair and feathers, neatly interwoven
and smooth, and of a size fitted to hold from four to
six eggs, subsequently laid therein. These are in colour
very like Ravens’, hut seldom have the markings so deep in
shade—black for instance being almost wholly wanting—or
so numerous : in size they measure from 2‘07 to 1*5 by from
1*27 to P04 inch. It is well known of many birds that
when one of a pair is killed, the survivor speedily obtains a
new mate, who continues the work of reproduction. This has
been repeatedly observed to be the case with Crows, from
the fact, probably, that few species are more systematically
slaughtered in the breeding-season.
The food of the Crow is varied, hut consists almost exclusively
of animal matter, of which nothing that can he found
comes amiss, from the carcase of a large quadruped to the
grubs of insects. The heaps of refuse washed up on the
sea-beach, and the shores of tidal rivers, as well as on- lands
that have been recently flooded, supply a great portion, and
in such places the birds may he seen, often in considerable
flocks, diligently seeking for anything eatable, each individual
as intently watching the actions of its comrades as carrying
on its own search, so that the discovery by one of booty
larger than common is sure to be observed by the rest, who
hasten to share the spoil, pieces of which are torn off and
conveyed to a convenient station to be devoured. Bones and
shelled animals, the marrow or soft parts of which cannot be
readily extracted, are borne aloft to a considerable height and
dropped upon rocks or stones that they may be broken, the
bird following them very closely in their fall; but several
observers have noticed that it often mistakes the nature of
the ground beneath, and repeated trials are frequently needed
to attain a successful performance of the cunning feat. It
will also hover over the water and seize fishes or offal that
may be near the surface. Were the Crow but content with
food of this kind it would make few enemies ; but unfortunately
for itself it has earned a reputation of being only less
mischievous as it is less powerful than the Raven, and, where
it is plentiful, its injuriousness to flock-masters cannot be
gainsaid. Yeaning ewes and their new-born lambs not
unfrequently fall victims to its attacks when removed from
the shepherd’s care. The gamekeeper detests it even worse
than the Raven, for it is more abundant, and its partiality to
eggs, from those of an Eagle to those of a Titlark, leads it to
beat deliberately over moors and fields, hedgerows and borders
of woods, to find the nests of Grouse, Partridges and Pheasants,
which it speedily empties of their contents, each egg
being separately carried off on the point of its bill and then
sucked. Nor does it shew any mercy to the tender broods,
and from its habit of haunting the waterside it is particularly
destructive to Ducklings. Leverets, young rabbits and
other small mammals it will also capture. It will snatch a
wounded bird almost from the grasp of the gunner, and that
which at nightfall he has marked as fallen dead will be found
by him next day with its bones picked clean. Though grain
is seldom touched by it, when opportunity offers it will take
cherries and walnuts. Thus by nearly all classes it is ranked
as-one of the most heinous of feathered offenders. Yet
Waterton had a good word for it, urging that for nine or ten
months of the year it does very little injury’to man, while
during the greater part of that time it is as assiduous as the
Rook in the consumption of noxious larvae. For this cause
also, Vieillot reckons it among the birds that are useful, but
notwithstanding these witnesses in its favour any attempt to
plead the cause of the Crow in this country would be vain.
The sagacity of the Crow is as proverbial as that of the
Raven, and in illustration of this quality a nearly endless number
of anecdotes might be cited—some of venerable antiquity.
Many no doubt rest on fancy, but men who have seen the
bird’s habit, of dropping shell-fishes that they may be broken
by the fall, have some excuse for fabling that it would
fill a pitcher with stones to raise the level of the water it