Birds, 147 



— A pellet, which T, about February, 1833, found in Bays- 

 water meadows, on the flat top of a tree's truncated stem, 

 left in a hedgerow as a huge post, contained the fur and 

 bones of two field campagnols (Arvicola agrestis Flem,\ as I 

 have learned by submitting the skull bones to the inspection 

 of an excellent comparative anatomist. — J. D, 



The Carrion Crow. — Mr. Waterton's admirable history 

 of the habits of this bird, and his able advocacy of its merits, 

 in VI. 208. to 214., have given me, and must all who have 

 read them, extreme pleasure. One vice, however, is charge- 

 able on the crow, to which Mr. Waterton has not adverted. 

 This bird has a strong predilection for the eyes of sheep. I 

 speak from my own knowledge ; for I have really caught this 

 bird in the very act and deed of plucking out the eyes of a 

 lamb ere it had scarcely drawn the vital air; hence, in 

 " lambing-time," particularly where sheep are kept upon 

 wastes and commons, which is much the case in Yorkshire, 

 you will be almost sure to see a carrion crow or two lurking 

 among them. The bird, with much cunning, watches the 

 movements of the sheep, and, if the shepherd should not be 

 constantly on the alert, the flock will most likely suffer some 

 loss. The ewe, when about to bring forth, is very restless, 

 lying down and getting up, &c., almost at every minute. 

 The cause of this uneasiness the crow appears to know full 

 well; for, sometimes before the parturient process is half 

 over, the luckless offspring is bereft of one or perhaps of both 

 its eyes. The crow is a most expert operator in this busi- 

 ness : the villanous deed is finished by his murderous bill in 

 the twinkling of an eye. I have also known these ravenous 

 birds to deprive sheep of their visual organs, when, from 

 sickness or the infirmities of old age, or from being entangled 

 with thorns and briars, they were incapable of resistance. 

 The carrion crow does not, on leaving its nest, cover its 

 eggs : Professor Rennie was therefore in error when he 

 stated that it did. — Thomas Weatherill, M, i). Liverpool, 

 Dec, 7. 1833. 



[ The Titmice (Pdrus major and ccerideus, and dter andpalustris 

 may be added) mil sometimes feed on Walnuts while these are yet 

 on the Tree ,• a fact on their habits additional to those already 

 registered in III. 476., IV. 166., V. 489. 655, to 66S,'] They 

 eat the walnuts, attacking and devouring them as they grow on 

 the tree, and before they are ripe enough to quit the green out- 

 side husk. A walnut tree on the premises here affords peculiar 

 facilities to the operations of these little depredators : it bears 

 nuts which are frequently more or less imperfect in their shells ; 

 that is, the shells, instead of being composed throughout of a 



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