144 THE EIEDS OF SUSSEX. 



bird-stuff er in Lewes. The first was the property of Mr. 

 Fuller^ o£ Tarring Neville, by whom it was shot ; the other, 

 of the sex of which I was not told, was killed by a gardener 

 at Piddinghoe, who, on Mr. Potter calling at his house, 

 brought it from his garden, where he had just shot it. A fine 

 specimen was shot at Bexhill, in August 1871, and sent for 

 preservation to Mr. Kent, of St. Leonards-on-Sea (Zoologist, 

 p. .2765, s.s.) It has never nested in Britain, though it has 

 occurred as early as May and as late as February. 



CORVID^. 



CHOUGH. 



Pyrrliocorax graculus. 



I FEAR that the Chough is now extinct in Sussex. I may 

 mention that I had a good opportunity of watching the 

 habits of this bird in co. Mayo, Ireland, where it is still 

 numerous. Several authors have stated that Choughs never 

 settle on the grass ; there, however, I saw them every day 

 on it, searching about like Starlings in front of the house, 

 and picking up something from the turf. They might be 

 heard chattering Irish down the chimney of my bedroom 

 early in the morning. I generally saw them flying about 

 in little parties, over the patches of oats and potatoes. They 

 breed on the cliffs, and on ruins of old castles, near the sea, 

 building their nests, in the most inaccessible crannies, of 

 sticks and seaweed, feeding on beetles and grubs, as well as 

 on crustaceans and shell-fish, and are said to dig up young 

 potatoes. The note of the Chough when flying, somewhat 

 resembles that of the Daw, but is pitched in a much higher 

 key. 



