20 THE BIRDS OF THE BERMUDAS. 
bird, so far as the Bermudas are concerned, is somewhat obscure. 
In Smith’s ‘‘ History of Virginia’’ (to which colony Bermuda at 
one time belonged), date 1623, Crows are mentioned as being 
numerous in the islands. Major Wedderburn says, however (Nat. 
in B., p. 33):—‘‘A few of these birds are generally to be seen 
between the lighthouse and Hamilton. I have never found their 
nests, but they are known to have bred, as a few young Crows were 
observed near Warwick Church during the first week of April, 
1849. It is supposed that they were introduced from Nova Scotia 
some few years ago.’’ Mr. Hurdis did not, apparently, find the 
species numerous, for he says (Nat. in B., p. 66):—‘‘In August, 
1854, eleven of these Crows were observed associating together at 
Gibbs Hill, by the late Colonel Oakley, 56th Regiment. This was 
double the number which had hitherto frequented those parts, and 
arose, doubtless, from the young of that season.’’ It is somewhat 
difficult to reconcile the above evidence. Can the species, once 
numerous, have become extinct, and have then been introduced 
again? ‘This is possible, but I am inclined to the belief that there 
have been Crows, more or less, in Bermuda since 1623, their wary 
nature and their partiality for the dense cedar groves causing them 
to have been but little noticed. However it may be, they are 
numerous now; so much so thai a price has been set on their 
devoted heads by a recent enactment—half-a-crown a bird, and 
sixpence an egg. ‘That this is a wise and necessary measure is 
universally conceded, as they do much damage in the breeding 
season, by destroying young poultry, and the eggs and young of 
the other resident birds. As is well known, this species is grega- 
rious, except during the actual time of breeding. As soon as the 
young are well able to fly, the scattered families consort together. 
I have seen as many as sixteen in one flock in June. Three or 
four are commonly seen together in winter, when they frequent 
the rocky shores in search of shell-fish, &. At the approach of 
the breeding season they separate into pairs, and select the most 
retired cedar groves for their nesting places, the same couple 
resorting to a particular spot for many years, if undisturbed. The 
nest is a bulky structure of sticks and cedar-bark, warmly lined 
with the latter material and with goats’ hair; it is usually in a 
wide fork, against the trunk, and never very high up. Eggs, 
usually four, exactly like those of our European Crows. I have 
found as many as half-a-dozen nests, in various stages of dilapida- 
tion, in the same clump of trees—the work, doubtless, of the same 
pair. They seem invariably to build a fresh one every year. Only 
one brood appears to be raised, leaving the nest about the end of 
May. The earliest nest I heard of was one containing four fresh 
eggs, on April 3rd, 1875. Lieut. Denison and I found five young 
birds in one nest, two of which were somewhat less advanced in 
feathering than the remainder; and, as we were mobbed all the 
time we were at the nest by four old Crows, we came to the 
conclusion that the nest must be common to both pairs—rather an 
odd thing, when one considers the solitary breeding habits of the 
species. Mr. Bartram has a specimen measuring 213 inches in 
length, which we at first thought must be a Raven, C. coraz, 
