524 CORVUS CORONE. 



for an external fence to their nest; but as I have seen the 

 Raven's only at a distance, I cannot certainly say of what ma- 

 terials its internal structure consists. The Crow's, however, 

 are small twigs carefully run into each other's openings ; then 

 a layer of fresh mould fills up the larger interstices ; and, lastly, 

 a thick lining of wool and hair, which last materials I have 

 seen them busy picking from the backs of sheep and cattle. 

 The Carrion Crow carries the refuse of what her young do not 

 choose to eat to a considerable distance from the nest. The 

 other year, that pair which haunts our glen had a low green 

 mound literally strewed with empty egg shells. Among them 

 I noticed eggs of all the birds that resort to our mountains to 

 hatch in the summer months, together with many of the domes- 

 tic hen. The heads, legs, and bones of lambs were dropped 

 closer to the tree." 



The following account of this bird, transmitted to me by 

 another keen and accurate observer, Mr. Weir, will be read 

 with equal interest. 



" Boghead, 6th February 1837. — A few years ago, it cost 

 me a good deal of trouble to destroy a pair of exceedingly shy 

 Carrion Crows, w^hich for a long time frequented a narrow 

 stripe of old plantation about a quarter of a mile from my house. 

 As their nest was built at the extremity of one of the top bran- 

 ches of a very old and lofty Scotch fir tree, w^hich projected a 

 considerable way from the trunk, I could not get one of even 

 the most audacious of our tree-climbing youths to venture to 

 destroy it. Indeed, the attempt would have been attended with 

 danger, as the branch upon which it rested was slender and 

 brittle. From her lofty abode, the female, like a trust-worthy 

 sentinel at his watch-tower, observed every thing w^hich passed 

 around. So cunning w^as she, and so acute in her hearing, that 

 even when she was sitting on her eggs, I could not with the 

 greatest circumspection get within reach of her. 



" As I found that all my attempts were unavailing, I waited 

 with patience until her brood were nearly ripe. With the 

 branches of the Scotch fir I built a house within thirty yards 

 of her nest, leaving a small hole on one side of it, in order to 

 observe their motions. I crept into it upon my knees by a 



