420 Major W. R. Thompson on the [Ibis, 



Corvus corone. Tho Carrion-Crow. 



A very common resident, and becoming more so. It is to 

 be found nesting on the low trees on the island, but more 

 commonly, owing no doubt to the scarcity o£ trees, it nests 

 on the outlying rocks, often close to the ground and not far 

 above high-water mark, ('uriously enough it does not 

 appear to make much us(^ of the safer situation afforded by 

 the high cliffs of the southern shore, although a few pairs do 

 nest there'. The birds arc more nuuierous in the autumn and 

 winter months, but this may be due to the young birds 

 remaining with the family until th(^ approach of the next 

 breeding-season, when they probably depart to make a home 

 for themselves elsewhere. These birds are very bold during 

 the breeding-season and frequently take toll of young 

 chickens. 



Corvus comix. The Hooded Crow. 



I saw one of these birds on the 20th of November, 1918, 

 and a flock of ten — the largest number 1 have seen together 

 on the island — on the 30th of October, 1919, and another on 

 the 15tli of November, 1919. L. tells me he sees some 

 during the month of October every year, and that they 

 usually arrive just before the first Woodcock, their appear- 

 ance being looked upon by the islanders as an indication 

 that Cock may be expected. Several Cocks were shot on 

 the day after I had seen the floidv of ten Crows mentioned 

 above. Mr. Cecil Smith says : '' The Hooded Crow can only 

 be considered an occasional autumnal and winter visitant — 

 Mr. MacCulloch writes me word that the Hooded Crow is 

 a very rare visitant, and only, as far as he knows, in very 

 cold weather ; and, he adds, it is strange that we should see 

 it so rarel}', as it is very common about St. Malo." Neither 

 Langlois nor myself, with the exceptions of the two birds 

 mentioned above as seen in November, and which I prefer, 

 owing to the extreme mildness of the season, to regard as 

 late migrants, have seen this bird in Alderney during the 

 winter months, even in hard weather, and it must therefore, 

 at present, be considered as a bird of passage only, although 



