168 ^Ir. J. Black vvalFs OrnitJwlogical Notes. 



turned to their favourite breeding haunt, and repeatedly visited 

 the aperture so long occupied by their nest ; but being again as- 

 sailed by the bees, which had removed to a parallel aperture on 

 the other side of the portico, it is probable that the incident re- 

 called the destruction of their progeny in the preceding year, for 

 they eventually deserted the place, and selected a hole in a low 

 stone wall by the side of the avenue leading to the house, in 

 w^hich they constructed a nest and brought up their young. 



This instance, and other cases might be adduced, evidently 

 tends to show that the pied flycatcher resorts annually to the 

 same locality for the purpose of continuing its species, and that, 

 like its congener the spotted flycatcher, it is a very familiar bird 

 during the breeding-season. 



The Carrion Crow, C&rvus Cor one. 



It is evident from repeated inspections of the indigestible part* 

 of objects swallowed by the crow as food, which, like the magpie 

 and birds of the order Raptor es, it ejects from the mouth, that 

 vegetable substances form no inconsiderable portion of its ali- 

 ment ; it devours fish also, particularly eels, in pursuit of which 

 it wades into the shallow water of rivers and brooks that flows 

 over beds of stone and gravel, seizing the object of its search 

 with the bill and conveying it to land, where it is eaten at leisure^ 

 Crows thus occupied may frequently be seen by the salmon-fisher 

 w^hen following his exciting diversion on the banks of the Conway 

 in the picturesque valley which derives its name from the stream. 



The Rev. John Boulger of Llanrwst informs me that in June last 

 he saw a crow on the wing with a fine living eel in its bill ; the 

 contortions of the fish as it endeavoured to escape from its formi- 

 dable enemy and the varied gesticulations of the bird, occasioned 

 by its efforts to retain a prey so muscular, flexible, and slippery, 

 W' ere very grotesque and amusing ; at length the eel extricating^ 

 itself from the grasp of the crow fell to the ground, and as there 

 was not any water in the immediate vicinity, Mr. Boulger availed 

 himself of the opportunity to examine the fish and satisfy his 

 mind that it was not a snake. 



Though of a much less social disposition than the rook, never- 

 theless the crow is not so solitary in its habits as it is generally 

 represented to be in works on ornithology. When the breeding- 

 season is over, and the young birds are capable of providing for 

 themselves, the crows belonging to this district assemble in large 

 flocks about the close of day, preparatory to repairing to their 

 roosting-haunts in the higher parts of Gwydir woods; they 

 are very clamorous on these occasions, and do not finally retire 

 to rest till it is nearly dark, but frequently after they seem to 

 have settled for the night, rise suddenly in a body, renewing 



