CHOUGH 211 



Family CORYIDiE. 



Genus PYRRHOCORAX, Vieillot. 



CHOUGH. 



Pi/rrJiocorax graculus (Linnaeus). 8.N., i., p. 158 



(1766). 

 Eed-legged Crow, Boys, 1792. 



It is very evident that the Chough, or Eed-legged Crow, 

 became extinct on the Kentish coast years and years ago. 



The only traceable Kentish specimens at present known 

 to exist are as follows : One in the Maidstone Musemn, 

 labelled Kent, presented by Mr. G. Simmons, which must 

 be very old ; and one in the Exeter Museum, from Kent, 

 the bequest of the Eev. Bower-Scott. Neither of these 

 two birds have any data attached to them, therefore it is 

 very difficult to state for certam whether they are genuine 

 Kentish birds. 



Professor Newton, in the last edition of Yarrell's 

 British Birds, gives the earliest history of the supposed 

 existence of the Chough in Kent; he says: "Merrett, 

 in 1667, speaks of it as found ' in omnibus oris maritionis 

 a cornubia ad Doroberniam,' meaning, no doubt, Dover ; 

 but it may be noted that another Dorobernia, the city 

 of Canterbury, bears Choughs in its arms." 



Pennant, in his British Zoology, 1776, states : " The 

 Chough is found in small numbers on Dover Cliff, where 

 they came by accident. A gentleman in that neighbour- 

 hood had a pair sent him as a present from Cornwall, 

 which escaped and stocked those rocks." 



Professor Newton again remarks that "no date is 

 given, but as the passage is not in his earlier editions, we 



