HOODED CROW. 73 



commits a theft. The " Crow stone " is the top stone of the gable, 

 and a " Crow-bar " is a thing of weight and influence. Things that 

 closely resemble each other are, says Butler, 



as like as Crow to Crow 



Butler— Hudibras. 



Crows have a history, too. In Henry VIII's day special Acts of 

 Parliament were passed for their destruction. In Queen Elizabeth's 

 time, every parish had to provide a Crow net to catch them ; and a 

 price has often been set upon their heads. These, and divers other 

 matters of interesting Crow-lore, will reward the search of the 

 persevering investigator, but he must ever bear in mind that 

 Crows, Rooks, and Ravens, are apt all to be confused together 

 by old writers under the much abused name of " Crow ; " just as 

 under the name of " Sparrow," whole tribes of little birds were 

 included, and involved in one indiscriminate massacre, as the 

 churchwarden's accounts of some country parishes bear witness. 



CORVUS CORNIX— Hooded Crow. 



The Grey, Hooded, or Royston Crow, is an occasional visitor 

 to Herefordshire. Mr. Lingwood says in his Notes, " Llanwarne, 

 January, 1850. Perrystone, February, i860." One was observed 

 at Letton in 1879 feeding on a dead salmon on the river bank; 

 and another was shot at Clehonger in 1881 ; Mr. Elwes, the bird 

 stuffer, at Ross, had a specimen sent him from the Marcle district ; 

 and Mr. W. Edwards, of Great Malvern, has another specimen 

 which was shot at Eastnor. 



Yarrell thinks the Hooded Crow is but a variety of the 

 Carrion Crow, since they freely interbreed with each other ; 

 though they differ in colour, in the range of their appearance, 

 and to some slight extent also in their habits. 



