CHOUGH. 257 



or walking on the short turf* of the cliffs, is graceful. The 

 sight of a pair of Choughs or more, with their glossy black 

 plumage, their red hill and legs, on a green hank, engaged in 

 preening their own or their companions' plumage, or basking 

 in the sunshine, is one that will gladden any true naturalist, 

 and lend an additional charm to the fine scenery which they 

 generally affect. 



The Chough inhabits the Channel Islands, being especially 

 numerous in Guernsey, but is only found accidentally in the 

 north of France. It however frequents Belle Isle, and this 

 appears to be its only maritime resort outside of the British 

 dominions, for in what other country soever it may dwell, its 

 station is always inland and in mountainous or hilly districts. 

 Thus it abounds in some parts of the Pyrenees, and occurs 

 in elevated situations throughout Spain and Portugal. It 

 breeds commonly in Palma, one of the Canaries, but is not 

 found elsewhere among the Atlantic Islands. Though local 

 it inhabits the higher lands of Barbary from Tetuan along 

 the Algerian Atlas. Returning to Europe it is found again 

 in the hill-country of Provence and Dauphigny, among the 

 Vosges and the mountainous parts of Southern Germany, 

 but there very sparsely. It is a scarce inhabitant of the 

 Swiss Alps to the height of about 10,500 feet, and thence is 

 found at corresponding elevations along the Appenines, and 

 in the Italian Islands — Sardinia and Sicily. It occurs, says 

 Zawadski, on the Central Carpathians, Its presence in Trans- 

 sylvania is not proved, but it is found, though rarely, in the 

 highlands of Styria and Carinthia. Missing the intervening 

 country, it reappears in Greece, and is abundant, says Mr. 

 Danford, in Asia Minor. It is not recorded from Palestine, 

 though it inhabits the mountains of Abyssinia and Arabia, 

 and may be traced through Persia and Afghanistan to the 

 Himalayas, whence in winter it visits the plains of India, 

 and Northern China. The Chough of several of these 

 Asiatic countries has been indeed thought to differ from the 



* Young birds taken from the nest and kept alive in gardens, where they soon 

 become tame, shew great unwillingness to step off the gravel paths or masonry - 

 work of their place of detention. 



