Corvus cornix, Lin. Syjl. i. p. 156. N° 5.—Scut- Amt. i. p. 23. N° 37.—
Muller, p. lx.
La Corneille mantelee, Br if. cm. ii. p.19. N° 4,— Buf. oif. iii. p. 61.'
pi. 4.—P i. enl. 76.
Nebel Kraehe, Frifch. t. 65.
Grave Kran, Kranveitl, JCram. p. 333.
Royllon Crow, Rail Syn. p. 39. A. 4.—Will.orn. p. 124. pi. 18. 77.—.
Albin. ii. pi. 23.
Hooded Crow, Br . Zaol. i. N° 77.—Flor. Scot. vol. i. p, 20. pi. 2.
B r . Mu/, Lem. Muf,
HIS fpecies is about the fize of the laft, and twenty-two
inches in length. The bill is two inches long: the head,
fore part of the neck, wings, and tail, are of a fine glofiy blue
black : the reft of the body o f a palilh alh-colour: bill and legs
black : the irides hazel: the bottom of the toes broad and flat,
to enable them to walk without finking on marlhy and muddy
grounds, where they are converfant *.
This is an elegant fpecies, and in divers parts of England fuffi-
ciently plenty in winter; for at the approach of fpring it retires
from us to breed elfewhere. It is moft likely that the major part
of them go entirely out of England, but perhaps not all, as I have
been informed that they have been feen in our northern mountainous
counties in the fummer. “ In Scotland they remain the
whole year, and is the only fpecies in the ijlands, and great part
of the Highlands, growing fcarcer the nearer we approach to the
South: keep in pairs, except for fome time after the breeding-fea-
fon; is moft affe&ionate to its mate j-.” They are alfo migra*
Br. Zaol. i. p, 224, 4 Flora Scot. i. p. 20.
tory
+. CHROOOWD.ED
D e s c r i p t io n . T
tory in. other countries. Scopoli* obferves this of thofe in Car-
niola : they do alfo the fame in Sweden, where they breed, as well
as in the fouthern parts of Germany, in the woods of the iflands
of the Danube f . It is moft likely the lpecies mentioned by
Fryer J, as inhabiting Ifpahan in Perfia-, and has been brought
from the Philippine Ijlands by M. Sonnerat\.
Kalm § mentions a Crow in Penfylvania, a variety of the Cor-
nix, which is not common in winter'; but he gives no further de-
fcription, confequently leaves us in the dark as to the fpecies.
The manners of thefe birds coincide with both thofe of the
Crow and Rook-, with the former, feeding at times on carrion,
added to the fame inclination of doing mifchief among defencelefs
young birds, and other animals ; and frequent the borders of rivers,
for the fake of the offal caft on Ihore, and lhell-filh ** ; on
the other hand, like the Rook, are frequently, content with i«-
fells, feeds, and berries. They are gregarious, and build in trees,
laying fix eggs; but feparate into pairs, in the breeding-feafon,
after, which they again unite in. bands. Thefe are often feen in
* Ann' i. p. 2;. f Kramer elen. p. 333,
I, “ The Crows here are like our Royllon Crows, grey on their backs and .
Wings.” Fryer's Travels, p. 318.
Htjlu des oif. iii.- p. 66. note (p) .
§ This is faid to be very noxious there, living chiefly on corn, fcratching the.
feeds out of the ground foon after they are fown : when the maize begihs to
ripen, it makes a hole into the ittvolucrutu furroundiog the ear, by which means
the maize is fpoiled, the rain palling through it: they alfo &eul young chickens.,
and are fond of dead carcafes. The province .of Pen/yhama had formerly given .
three pence, and Neuo Jerfey four pence, a head for one of thefe, but the' ex-
peaces proving, too'great, are now repealed. Kalm Tram. vol. ii. p. 66.
** Thefe.birds.are frequent on the Ihores of the Thames, both in Kent, and
F/fex, and are by fome called EJ/ex Crows,
final! !