Ornithology of Cyprus. 21 



many eggs in all stages of incubation : they appear typical 

 in colouring but are rather small, the average of a dozen 

 being 1*34 x 98 inch. 



Whatever may be the status of the form C. collaris 

 Drummond, there is no doubt that in very many Cypriote 

 specimens the nuchal collar is extremely white ; but this is 

 by no means invariably the case, and, so far as I can judge, 

 it is partially a sign of age ; but, in any case, one can always 

 see birds with almost every grade of colour. 



602. Corvus cornix Linn. 



Corone pallescens Madarasz. 



The Grey or Hooded Crow is a very common resident, 

 and, although I do not remember to have seen it close to the 

 Troodos encampment (from which it is probably kept away 

 by the multitude of Ravens), it is, elsewhere, a nuisance. 

 Though a useful scavenger, it is very destructive to the 

 young of poultry, game, and wild birds, and I have seen two 

 kill a nearly full-grown tame pigeon. Horsbrugh saw a 

 pair knock over a Magpie and rob it of a piece of meat. It 

 is very abundant in the vicinity of the towns ; it commences 

 to nest at the end of March, and its behaviour is interesting 

 at that period. Being compelled to build in trees, which 

 are mostly easily accessible and close to dwelling-houses, it 

 constructs a small well-concealed nest — usually at the top 

 of a eucalyptus or fir — with the utmost secrecy, and though 

 at other times an abominably noisy bird, it scarcely ever 

 utters a note when near its breeding-place. 



Lord Lilford observed that the mantles of the Cypriote 

 Hooded Crow were somewhat lighter in colour than in typical 

 British specimens, and Madarasz, mainly on this difference, 

 has separated the island bird under the name C. pallescens. 

 From the many hundreds I have seen and perhaps twenty 

 which I have handled, I should say, without hesitation, that 

 the light parts of the plumage are vastly whiter than in 

 British specimens. In addition to this, the local bird seems 

 more compact and considerably smaller, and, in all which 

 I have closely examined, the junction line between the white 



