4 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Scotland, although it is not so scarce, and certainly 

 breeds sparingly in many districts of the Highlands and 

 is seen in the Hebrides, but I did not observe it in St. 

 Kilda. 



Breeding habits : Like the Raven the Carrion Crow 

 pairs for life, and will frequent a certain spot year by 

 year for the purpose of reproduction ; but unlike that 

 bird it is one of the latest of the Crow tribe to go to 

 nest. The nests of this species are made in two very 

 distinct situations : viz. on trees in wooded districts, and 

 on cliffs and rocks in hilly and littoral districts. In 

 the woodlands, a tall tree is selected in some secluded 

 spot, often a fir or a pine, frequently an oak, an elm, 

 or a beech, the nest being placed in the topmost 

 branches. When on an inland rock or ocean precipice, 

 precisely similar situations are chosen as those selected 

 by the Raven. The nest is a bulky structure, differ- 

 ing very little in appearance from that of the Rook. 

 As they are often enlarged season by season, some nests 

 are much bigger than others. The nest is made out- 

 wardly of large and small sticks, branches of ling, and 

 turf, and lined more or less compactly with roots, wool, 

 moss, fur, and hair, a few feathers, and sometimes quan- 

 tities of dry withered leaves. The cup containing the 

 eggs is shallow, yet remarkably smooth. Nests in trees 

 are better made than those placed on cliffs, if they are 

 not generally so bulky. The remarkable wariness of 

 this bird is even more intensified during the breeding 

 season. In some districts abroad the Carrion Crow has 

 been known to nest on the ground, and even in this 

 country a large bush has occasionally been selected. 

 Nests of this species are sometimes met with in much- 

 frequented places. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement : 

 The eggs of the Carrion Crow are from three to six in 



