U6 CORVUS ALBUS 



Dr. P. Ecudall found a pair breeding in a tree in the 

 Government-house grounds at Bathursfc on the Gambia, and 

 Dr. Hartert met with the species nesting on Los Island in 

 April. Dr. Biittikofer writes from Liberia : " This species 

 lives more exclusively than any of its congeners, upon fish, 

 craw-fish and molluscs, which are sometimes left l)ehind in 

 great quantities by the retiring tide, and is, moreover, very 

 fond of palm-nuts. During the palm-oil season, from 

 Pebruary to May, as the country people say, its meat must 

 be ' mucli sweet,' and I was obliged to shoot lots of them for 

 our boys' dinners. Now and then I tasted this ' meat ' 

 myself, and although I did not find it exceedingly palatable — 

 especially that of adult birds — I much preferred it to that 

 of Hornbills, Plantain-eaters, Parrots and the like, which 

 is very tough and dry indeed. The nest of the African Rook 

 is built in the crowns of high, inaccessible cotton-trees." At 

 the Niger, Dr. Hartert found a pair breeding in February 

 on the top of a tall Bombax tree. 



Andersson, in his " Birds of Damaraland," writes : " It is 

 a regular scavenger, being always present where offal is to be 

 had, and at times resorting in numbers to the bays and inlets 

 of the coast in search of carrion thrown up by the waves ; 

 indeed its scent and sight for carrion rivals that of the 

 Vultures, and it is not unfrequently seen about a carcass before 

 even a single Vulture has appeared. It is quite fearless, and 

 will approach a person within a few steps, but if once shot 

 at, displays considerable cunning and caution. From its 

 commonness and sociability its presence is often disregarded ; 

 and it avails itself of such opportunities to carry off any 

 pieces of meat and fat which may chance to be within its 

 reach ; but such little depredations are amply compensated 

 by its usefulness as a scavenger, and also in ridding domestic 

 as well as wild animals, from the fearfully blood-thirsty ticks 



