Class II. RED LE G G E D. 229 



Mgypt it affeds mountanous and rocky fituations ; 

 and builds its neft in high cliffs, or ruined towers, 

 and lays four or five eggs, white fpotted with a 

 dirty yellow. It feeds on infe61:s, and alfo on new 

 fown corn : they commonly fly high, make a 

 fhriller noife than the jackdaw, and may be taught 

 to fpeak. It is a very tender bird, and unable to 

 bear very fevere weather ; is of an elegant, flender 

 make ; a6live, refllefs, and thieving ; much tak- 

 en with glitter, and fo meddling as not to be 

 trufled where things of confequence lie. It is very 

 apt to catch up bits of lighted flicks ; fo that there 

 are inflances of houfes being fet on fire by its 

 means ; which is the reafon that Camden calls it 

 incendiaria avis* Several of the IVelJh and Cor- 

 Tiijh families bear this bird in their coat of arms. 

 It is found in Cornwall^ Flint/hire^ Caernarvonjhire, 

 and Anglejea^ in the cliffs and caflles along the 

 Hiores •, and in different parts of Scotland as far 

 as Straithnavern \ and in fome of the Hehrides, 

 They are alfo found in fmall numbers on Dover 

 cliff, where they came by accident : A gentleman 

 in that neighborhood had a pair fent as a prefent 

 from Cornwall^ which efcaped, and flocked thofe 

 rocks. They fometimes dcfert the place for a week 

 or ten days at«a time, and repeat it feveral times in 

 the year. 



Its weight is thirteen ounces : the breadth thir- Descrip. 

 ty-three inches : the length fixteen : its color is 

 wholly black, beautifully gloffed over with blue 



and 



