species is making ready for the night. Daws also when
forming a company by themselves will often rise suddenly
in the air, and indulge in many playful excursions and circuits
aloft, during which from time to time all will loudly
exclaim almost at the same moment, producing a very singular
effect. In whatever way they may he flocking, they
nearly always fly in pairs, thereby corroborating Water-
ton’s conjecture that once mated they remain paired for life.
The Daw "Is found to breed more or less abundantly
throughout the United Kingdom, except in the Outer Hebrides,
where it seems never to have been observed, and in
Shetland, where it only occurs accidentally. It occasionally
appears in the Faeroes, but has never been recorded from
Iceland by Faber or his successors in that country. On the
continent it is not known to have occurred beyond lat. 65° N.,
which it reaches on the coasts of Norway and Sweden, and
again about Archangel, but its range does not extend to the
northward of 60° on the Ural or in Siberia, and Jenniseisk,
where it seems to be but a stray visitor, is apparently its
furthermost limit in an eastern direction. It is said to be
common in Turkestan, and it visits the Punjab in winter.
It has not yet been recorded from Persia, but abounds in the
Caucasus and Armenia, and thence to Palestine. It was
reported by Riippell to be common in Arabia Petraea and
Lower Egypt, but doubts have lately been cast on the statement.
In parts of Algeria it is very abundant, yet its
distribution in Morocco must be casual or local, as, though
observed in large flocks at Tetuan, it is not recorded from
Tangier. It has occurred as a straggler in the Canaries.
It appears to frequent all the Mediterranean islands, from
Cyprus, where Lord Lilford found it breeding, to Sardinia, but
Major von Homeyer did not observe it in the Balearic Isles.
Both in Spain and Portugal it seems to be a very local
species, and indeed as much may be said for it throughout
Europe generally, though it occurs in every country; but
observations are wanting to define its distribution properly,
especially as in some districts it is recorded as a migrant
only, while it is said to be resident in others close to them.
The beak is black and short, about the same length as the
head of the bird: the irides greyish-white : the crown of the
head black, glossed with purple; ear-coverts, nape* and sides
of the neck, smoky-grey; the rest of the upper parts black,
glossed with rich violet and green, especially on the wings;
all the lower parts dusky black: legs, toes and claws, black.
The whole length of a male is about fourteen inches;' the
wing from the carpal joint to the tip, nine inches and three-
eighths ; the first primary two inches and a half shorter than
the second, which is three-quarters of an inch shorter than
the third; and this is nearly equal to the fourth. The tail
is slightly rounded.
The female is somewhat smaller, and has the grey on the
neck less pure and conspicuous.
The young are of a nearly uniform, dull black, inclining
to grey beneath ; but with the grey collar scarcely perceptible.
In this state they are probably the foundation of the Gorvus
spermolegus of Vieillot.
The vignette represents the Daw’s sternum, illustrating
its form in the family Corvidce, which, as will be seen, is
essentially the same as in all the true Passeres.
'S'*1' ’ f U'jf II
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* Adult examples from South-eastern Europe and some parts of Asia generally
have the nape much lighter, passing into silvery-white. They are the Gorvus
collwris of Col Drummond-Hay, but few ornithologists now deem their specific
distinctness established. Further to the eastward occurs the 0. dauuricus of
Pallas, which has not only the collar broader and pure white, but much of the
lower parts of the body white also.
Hig.
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