THE NUTCRACKER 57 
distinguished as the ‘Cornish Chough’, from the rocky district 
which it frequented. The famous lines in King Lear— 
The Crows and Choughs that wing the midway air 
Show scarce so gross as beetles: 
point probably to the Jackdaw, which is abundant on the rocky 
coast of Kent, where the Chough has not been observed, though 
there is a traditional account of a pair which many years ago 
escaped from confinement and bred there. By its flight it is 
scarcely to be distinguished from the Jackdaw; but if it comes 
near enough to the observer to betray the vermilion colour of 
its legs, it may be known at once, and, seen on the ground, its long 
curved bill, and more slender form, sufficiently distinguish it from 
all others to which it assimilates in colour and size. 
Not many years since, the Chough was far from uncommon in 
several parts of the coast of Devon and Cornwall. It is now much 
less frequent, though it still lingers about the Lizard in the latter 
county, and is said to breed in the high cliffs near Combe Martin 
in Devonshire, in both of which places I have often looked out 
sharply for it, but have never been quite satisfied that I have seen 
one. It is said also to haunt the precipitous coast of several other 
parts of Great Britain, and to be found also in many parts of Ire- 
land; in the Channel, especially in Guernsey, it is fairly common, 
but always preferring the least frequented localities. The peculiar 
habits of a bird so uncommon and secluded are little known, so far 
at least as they are characteristic of the bird in its wild state. In 
captivity its ways differ little from those of the rest of its tribe. 
It is inquisitive, intrusive, captious in temper, disposed to become 
attached to those who treat it well, fond of attracting notice; ina 
word, it surpasses in intelligence most other tribes of birds, ranking 
among those members of the brute creation whose instinct amounts 
to something more than a formal compliance with certain laws 
which the rational creation has arbitrarily set down for their 
government. Insects and the rejectamenta of the sea-shore and 
occasionally grain form its diet. It builds its nest of sticks, and 
lines it with wool and hair, preferring a cleft in a rock, but not 
refusing any old ruin conveniently situated forits purpose. It lays 
four or five eggs. 
THE NUTCRACKER 
NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES 
Plumage sooty brown, spotted on the back and under parts with white ; tail 
black, barred with white at the extremity ; beak and feet horn-colour ; 
iris brown. Length thirteen inches. Eggs light buff, with afew greyish 
brown spots. 
THE Nutcracker Crow, a rare straggler, must not be confounded 
with the Nuthatch, which we have already described; the for- 
