130 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
old coachman, who for at least twenty years drove the 
London and Leeds Express coach from Loughborough to 
Mansfield, across Sherwood Forest, used to say that he 
knew to a day when the grey crows would come upon 
the forest. That day he said was Guy Fawkes day, 
of notable memory, the 5th of November.” My own 
observations would lead me to confirm this as the usual, 
though, as will be seen above, not the invariable time of 
their arrival. 
The hooded crow generally frequents the uncultivated 
districts, chiefly the wooded parts of the forest and 
parks ; and though you may always make sure of seeing 
it, it never occurs in flocks or large parties, but generally 
in pairs, or as solitary birds. This species appears to 
be only partially migratory, for though I never missed 
its presence during the winter, yet at the same time 
numbers are always to be seen on the seashores, its 
habits being essentially maritime. There it follows the 
ebb and flow of the tide with great constancy, feed- 
ing greedily on anything that may turn up. It is very 
shy and wary, rarely allowing you to come within gun- 
shot unless you do it cautiously, yet at times I have 
seen it exhibit much boldness and fearlessness. I was 
riding on one occasion through the forest, where, perched 
on an old oak, sat a pair of these birds. As I came 
near, a sparrowhawk flew past within a few yards of the 
tree on which the hoodies were sitting, when one of 
them immediately took wing and attacked the hawk 
with such fierceness and pertinacity that he seemed 
fairly cowed. He made no show of resistance, but 
doubtless thinking discretion the better part of valour, 
left the field to his assailant, who, after following him 
for some distance, returned in triumph to his mate, who 
