16 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



The Hooded, or Grey, Crow seems to occur occasionally, though 

 rarely, in Tunisia, and the hird can merely he looked upon as an 

 accidental visitor to that country. Blanc, the naturalist, informs me 

 that only two or three examples of the species have passed through 

 his hands within the last ten years. These may possibly have been 

 stragglers from the island of Sicily, where this Crow is abundant and 

 resident. From the neighbouring island of Malta the species does 

 not appear to have been recorded. 



In Algeria also, according to Loche, the Plooded Crow occurs 

 accidentally. I have no note of its occurrence in Marocco. 



In its habits and general life this Crow closely resembles the 

 Carrion-Crow, though it is more gregarious than that species. In 

 localities where both species occur they interbreed freely, and hybrids 

 between the two are constantly met with, and according to some good 

 authorities are fertile. In Italy hybrids between these two Crows 

 do not seem to be uncommon, and I have myself shot what appeared 

 to be one of them in Piedmont. 



Like most other Corvidce the present species is extremely wary 

 and not easily taken unawares. It is fond of ranging over open 

 country and moorlands, quartering the ground in search of food like 

 a Harrier, though during the breeding season it resorts to wooded and 

 and more secluded localities. In Sicily I have found it nesting in 

 oak-woods far inland and at a considerable altitude. The sea-shore 

 also appears to be much frequented by this bird, no doubt for the 

 sake of the offal and dead fish that may be thrown up by the waves. 

 In its diet this species is far from being fastidious, and will feed on 

 carrion or almost anything that may come in its way. 



Its call-note is a loud croak, similar to that of the Carrion-Crow, 

 but some fine-eared people maintain that the notes are easily 

 distinguishable. Its flight is heavy and not very rapid. 



Examples of the Hooded Crow from Sicily are smaller than those 

 from North Europe, the difference in the length of the wing between 

 the two being in many cases as nuich as one inch. These Sicilian 

 birds maybe the same as tliose from Sardinia, which Dr. Kleinschmidt 

 has distinguished under the name of C. c. sardonius (Orn. Monats. 

 1903, p. 92), but I cannot say I notice any constant or appreciable 

 difference between the plumage of Sicilian specimens and that of 

 North European birds. 



Going eastward into Persia we find the Hooded Crow with the 



