588 FREGILUS GRACULUS. 



ing to a nearly acute point. The wings are about the same 

 length as the tail, which is moderate, even, the feathers 

 abrupt, with a small tip. The fourth quill is longest, the 

 fifth scarcely shorter, the third nearly as long, the second 

 an inch shorter, the first rather more than half the length of 

 the longest. The plumage of the head and neck is blended 

 and glossy, as is that of the back and lower parts in a less de- 

 gree. The feathers of the wings, and some of the upper and 

 lower tail-coyerts, compact. 



The bill is yermilion, the feet of a darker tint approaching 

 to coral-red, the claws black. The irides are browTi. The 

 general colour of the plumage is black, with blue and purple 

 tints ; the wing-coverts, secondary quills, and tail, glossed 

 with green. 



Length to end of tail 17 inches ; extent of wings 34 ; wing 

 from flexure 11 j ; tail 6i ; bill along the back 2^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2j\ ; tarsus 2/^ ; hind toe j%, its claw 

 i§ ; second toe 10^ twelfths, its claw^ 8^ twelfths ; third toe 

 li, its claw j% ; fourth toe ^J, its claw j\. 



Female. — The female is similar to the male, but somewhat 



Habits. — The Chough, according to ^Montagu, occurs in 

 Devonshire, Cornwall, and Wales ; I have met wnth it in Gal- 

 loway and the Island of Barray, one of the Outer Hebrides ; and 

 it is said to be found in the Isle of Man, in various parts of the 

 western coast of Britain, and at St. Abb's Head on the eastern 

 coast of the southern division of Scotland. It is, however, a 

 rare bird with us, and appears to be confined to the vicinity of 

 the sea, althoujjh on the continent its habitual residence is said 

 to be in the alpine regions of the interior. It is gregarious like 

 the Rook and the Jackdaw, which it resembles in its mode 

 of flying, as well as in its cries, which, however, are clearer 

 and more shrill. Its food consists of insects, grubs, seeds, and 

 the flesh of dead animals, for which it searches the open pas- 

 tures and rocky grounds, walking in the manner of the birds 

 mentioned above, and evincing much shyness, so that it is very 



