102 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



the raven^ its plumage, habits, and general characteristics 

 being in all respects extremely similar. 



In captivity its thievish propensities also present a 

 strong family likeness to the domesticated habits of the 

 raven ; and, also like that bird, it acquires the art of re- 

 peating words, and indulging in various imitative noises. 



The Carrion Crow frequents thickly-wooded districts, 

 and builds its nest on some large branch of a tree close to 

 the trunk, as shown in the illustration at the end. The nest 

 is composed of sticks and twigs loosely put together, the 

 inside being thickly and comfortabl}^ lined with wool, hair, 

 and dried grass. The breeding season commences early ; 

 and the eggs, from four to six in number, are of a pale 

 bluish -green, undertinted with grey, spotted with ash colour 

 and clove brown, and rather more than an inch in length. 



The Carrion Crow is by no means sociable in its habits ; 

 it never breeds near the nests of other birds, not even of 

 its own species, and is seldom seen except singly or in 

 pairs ; occasionally, however, small bands may be observ^ed 

 in severe weather, or engaged upon some unusually attrac- 

 tive carcase. The bird evinces the most stubborn par- 

 tiality for certain localities, and when once a ])air have taken 

 a fancy to some favoured spot, they resort to it with the 

 most unfailing constancy. It matters but little how they 

 may be assailed by gamekeepers, or tormented by school- 

 boys ; nothing will induce them to abandon their haunts. 

 Even when captured or destroyed, a second pair will 

 speedily make their appearance, and exhibit a similar 

 amount of pertinacity. As an instance of this peculiarity 

 in the Carrion Crow, it may be mentioned that the writer 

 in 1869 took five young ones from a nest in a clump of 

 beech trees (a locality very seldom visited), near Stanmer 



