CROW-LIKE BIEDS. 



63 



never b«en imported, because he says that stioner or 

 later it is sure to be. 



Black-akd-whitk Jackdaw (Cohxu/s dauuriruii]. 



PurpUsh-blaek above, the margins of the feathers 

 glossy ; the primary coverts and Ulghts more or less 

 green ; tail greenish in certain lights ; a broad greyish 

 w liite collar on back and siides of neck ; head glossy 

 purplish-black becoming biuer on fore-neck; ear 

 coverts and vicinity of the same with ashy streake; 

 rest of body below greyish-white excepting the thighs, 

 vent, and under wing and tail coverts, Wihich are 

 purijish-black ; bill iuid feet blaok ; irides brown. 

 Female described as slightly larger ; it doubtless differs 

 somewhat in the character of its bill. Hab., Noi'thern 

 Asia, from the Altai Mountains to Eastern Siberia; 

 China and Japan. iSharpe.) 



According to Seebohm (" Birds of the Japanese 

 Empire," p. 97 1, ihis apjjears to be a rare bird in 

 Japan ; he tells uo nothing about its habits there. 



Mr. C. \V. Campbell, writing on '" Birds Collected in 

 Corea" [The /'ji--, 1892, p. 238), says:— -In large 

 Hocks I always saw numbers of a smaller and white- 

 breasted specie.*, which I took to be Corvus dauuriciis. 

 I freijuently tried to obtain a eijecimen, but was always 

 Ixittted by the wariness of the bird." 



Capt. "H. A. Walton, describing tHe "Birds of 

 Peking" (Tha Ibis, 1903, p. 21). tells us that "It 

 was especially numerous during the very cold weather 

 in December and January. Its voice is very like that 

 of the English Jackdaw." 



Mr. J. D. D. Lai Tout-he {The Ibis, 1906, p. 432) says 

 that at Chinkiang it is " extremely abundant through- 

 out the winter. It arrives in October and leaves early 

 in spring." 



This is all that I have been able to discover respect- 

 ing the wild life. It was presented to the Zoological 

 Society of London in July, 1890, by Mons. J. de la 

 Touche. 



The Chaplain Crow [Corone capiUana), which ranges 

 from Persia and Mesopotamia eastwards into India, is 

 regaixled as a mere sivb-species of oiu- Hooded Crow ; 

 ten s|)ecimens have l>een exhibited at our Zoological 

 Gardens. 



Indian Crow (Corone. splendens). 



General colour greyish-black ; the back, outer webs 

 of primaries and tail with a greenish or steely gloss ; 

 wmgs slightly purplish ; nasal bristles, crown, orbital 

 region, cheeks and throat purplish-black ; nape, sides of 

 neck, mantle, fere-neck and chest drab-bro^m ; bill 

 and feet black : irides dark brown. The female is a 

 tritle duUer and smaller than the male, with slightly 

 shorter ball. Hab., India and Cevlon. Jerdon ob- 

 serves ("Birds of India.]' Vol. H., pp. 299, 300): — 

 " This Crow, though eminently social, is not strictly 

 gregarious, but it roosts in company, in vast numbers, 

 and there are certain spots near all large towns or 

 stations where they nightly congregate for this pm'po.^e. 

 coming from a distance varving from three to ten miles 

 of radius." 



" The food ot this Crow is greatly varied : T>ut, as 

 a rule, it may be said that it lives on the crumljs that 

 fall from the food of man. Many natives eat habitually 

 out of doors, and the remnants of boiled rice or other 

 grain are throw n away, whilst in those that feed within 

 doors the fragments are pitclied out at certain stated 

 intervals, well known to the Crows of tlio vicinity, who 

 pToceed from house to house, warned bv eonie watchful 

 member of their community when the feast is at hand. 

 So well kno\ra is the process of cooking that a small 

 fire, or rather its attendant smoke, even in eome un- 



usual spot far away from their daily haunt, will at 

 once attract one or two hungry Crows, who, if the 

 eyinptoms of food are favourable, remain for the ex- 

 pected leavings. In the intervals between the meals of 

 mankind, some betake themselves early in the morning 

 to some plain thut has perhaps been tlccdcd. to pick 

 up a crab, a frog, a fish, or insects. Others hunt for 

 grubs in ploughed lands, or i:i paetures along with 

 cattle, and others may be seen ridding cattle of the 

 ticks or other insects that infest them; some betake 

 themselves to the side of a river or tank ; a few, itt 

 the vicinity of large rivers or creeks, follow vessels, and! 

 hunt with the Gulls and Terns; and not a few, about 

 Calcutta and other large cities, find a plentiful repast 

 on the corpse of some dead Hindoo, or on that of a 

 dead bullock. A banian tree, a peepul, or other tree- 

 with ripe fruit, will always be visited by many Crows ; 

 and if a flight of winged termites takes place, morning, 

 or evening, there are the Crows to be found in abund- 

 ance, and adroitly catcliing them in company with Bee- 

 eaters, Kites, King-crows, and, mayhap. Bats." 



" The Crow breeds fi-om April to July, according to 

 the locality, and, occasionally, two or tlrree build in 

 the same tree, tiough, in general, there is not more- 

 than one. Now and then they select a corner of a 

 house or some convenient nook, but generally ibuild in 

 trees, making a moderate fabric of sticks, occasionally 

 thinly lined with some softer materials." "The eggs 

 are usually four in numtber, and are greenish-blue, 

 spotted and blotched in various degi-ees with brown." 



The London Zoological Society first secui-ed this Crow 

 for the Gardens in June, 1870, since which date a fair 

 munber of specimens has been received both at the- 

 London and Amisterda.m Gardens, and in those of Berlin 

 it lias not lieen unrepresented. 



.4itEEiCAN Crow (Corone americana). 



Gloesy purplish-black with violet reflections ; head 

 and neck somewhat brownish ; wings steel-black, slightly 

 glo.«sed with violet ; the outer coverts, primary coverts, 

 and primaries outwardly glossed with green ; tail- 

 feathers gi-eenish on inner webs ; bill and feet black ; 

 irides bromi. Female rather smaller and with shorter 

 bill. Hab., North America. 



According to Charles Bendire ("Life Histories of 

 North American Birds," Vol. II.), the food of this' Crow 

 seems to be remarkably varied, but he appears to think 

 that on the whole it does more good than harm to the- 

 farmer. As regards the nidification he says (pp. 411- 

 412) : " Nei=t-building in the more southern States begins 

 sometimes by Feb. 20, and correspondingly later north- 

 ward. In the vicinity of Washington, district of Colum- 

 bia, fresh eggs may be occasionally found in the last 

 week in ilarcli, but more frequently during the first 

 two weeks in April. Along our northern border tliey 

 nest generally about the beginning of May ; and even 

 in the most northern portions of tlieir range they have 

 been known to breed equally early, but most frequently 

 nidification here is protracted well into June. In Idaho, 

 Washington, and Oregon it is at its height between 

 April 15 and May 20. The nests a.re bulky, usually 

 well constructed, and placed in the forks of branches, 

 generally well up and hard to reach. Occasionally one 

 is placed near the main trunk, this being mostly the 

 case where busJiv cedars or junii>ers are used. Any 

 sort of tree may be cliosen for a nesting site, providing 

 it is one of dense foliage which will hide the nest well. 

 In some localities pine trees seem to be preferred, while 

 in othere oaks are often selected. In the West cotton- 

 woods, junipers, and -\rillows are most frequently used. 



