HOODED AND CARRION CROWS. 101 



from having previously perceived that the last spe- 

 cies is exceeding numerous about twenty miles to 

 the eastward, in the neighbourhood of Shoreham 

 and Brighton, where the carrion crow is, in its 

 turn, equally scarce. I may add that my subse- 

 quent observations have proved the above remarks 

 to be correct, and that they have been corrobo- 

 rated by the testimony of others whose attention 

 I had drawn to the subject. 



This peculiarity in the local distribution of the 

 two species, while impelled by the same instinct 

 to frequent the shores of our county during the 

 winter months, is certainly remarkable. It can 

 hardly be attributed to mutual dislike or hostility. 

 The well-authenticated instances which are on 

 record of the hooded crow having paired with the 

 carrion crow in a wild state would refute such an 

 idea.* Perhaps the varying character and aspect 

 of the country in the immediate vicinity of the 

 sea may afford a clew to unravel the mystery. 



To the eastward, near Brighton, and for many 

 miles in that direction, the naked Downs approach 

 the coast, and present a considerable extent, re- 

 sembling — at least in the absence of wood — the 

 native haunts of the hooded crow in Orkney 

 and Shetland. A natural predilection for such a 



* See Yarrell's " History of British Birds." 



