22 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



unpopularity is in places common ; in the Highlands, Ireland 

 and the Isle of Man the Hooded Crow replaces it. Our Crow 

 breeds in western and central Europe, and an allied form is 

 found in eastern Asia. A few of the European birds reach us 

 as immigrants in autumn, but many reported movements of 

 "crows" really refer to Rooks. In October, 1911, I saw ten 

 arrive on the Yorkshire coast a few days before the first Hoodies 

 came in. 



From the Raven the Carrion can be distinguished by size 

 and from the Hooded Crow by its black plumage, but there is 

 frequent confusion between it and the Rook. The beak of the 

 Crow is stouter and in consequence looks shorter, and whereas 

 in the adult Rook the nostrils are bare, those of the Crow are 

 covered at all ages with bristle-like feathers. The Rook is 

 generally gregarious, the Crow solitary, but Rooks occasionally 

 nest in isolated trees, and Crows may feed with Rooks ; more- 

 over Crows are often sociable in winter roosts. The most 

 distinctive character is the voice, well described by a Dorset 

 gamekeeper. "The Rook say 'caw,' but t'other un der say 

 'pawk, pawk.' He's so fond of a bit of meat." The guttural, 

 slightly vibrant croak is distinct from any note of the Rook. 

 The bird is garrulous, loving to perch on the top of a tree, 

 caUing three or four times in quick succession, with a slight 

 pause between each series of croaks. The wing-beats are 

 slower, more deliberate than those of the Rook. Though 

 delighting in carrion of all kinds the Crow will kill and eat any 

 small animal it can catch, and, as the gamekeeper knows, is 

 an inveterate egg- robber. Impudent and bold when oppor- 

 tunity offers, its natural caution enables it to avoid most traps. 

 Molluscs it enjoys ; when these cannot be hammered open 

 they are repeatedly carried into the air and dropped until 

 fractured. The Crow is more careful than gulls that the shell 

 falls on hard ground, but seldom varies the height from which 

 they are dropped if the first efforts fail. In the fields the bird 



