258 CHOUGH OR RED-LEGGED CROW. 



abundant is in the Isle of Man, an island of con- 

 siderable extent, and having precipitous coasts for 

 at least two-thirds of its circumference. Round 

 these shores it is so common that we once pro- 

 cured nearly thirty specimens in a forenoon. The 

 habits of the bird, as well as the flight, manner of 

 alighting among the rocks and fissures, very 

 closely resembles those of the Jackdaw ; so 

 much so, that when we first enjoyed the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing this bird on a part of the mainland 

 where they were not so frequent, we mistook 

 their flight for that of the last named bird, and 

 missed some opportunities of procuring what we 

 then considered a very rare bird ; a glimpse of 

 their red legs first undeceived us. During the 

 breeding season, when we have chiefly seen these 

 birds, we found them almost constantly on the 

 coast near the caves and fissures where the nests 

 were placed ; and they were very seldom seen 

 more than a quarter of a mile inland, but they 

 made excursions so far, alighting among the rocky 

 parts of the upland sheep pasture, and occasion- 

 ally feeding and walking on the dry pasture itself, 

 where they appeared to procure insects, their 

 stomachs being chiefty at this time filled with 

 coleoptera. It is also said to feed on grains and 

 berries ; and we are not aware of any particular 

 food afforded by the rocky British coasts which 

 in that country so peculiarly attracts them to 

 such localities, while on the Continent, the Alpine 

 ranges on the borders of the snow-line are their 

 usual haunts. Colonel Montague, who kept one as 



