426 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 



Neligan of Tralee, mentioned to me, that ravens chiefly frequent the 

 sea- shore in the county of Kerry, where he had often seen them 

 feeding on putrid fish. Great numbers of these birds are in some 

 works (especially those treating of American ornithology) described 

 as flying in company. Although ravens may be seen every day in 

 the year around Belfast, the most I have heard of being seen on 

 wing together did not exceed twelve in number. About Navarino 

 and Athens I have met with the raven — at the latter place Chateau- 

 briand introduces it, in his description of sunrise as seen from the 

 Acropolis*. 



Mr. Waterton, in his ' Essays on Natural History,' gives a highly 

 interesting account of the raven, but to his great grief, this bird has 

 not for many years been seen about Walton Hall. 



Sir Wm. Jardine, in his ' British Birds,' points out with an accu- 

 rately observant eye the favourite haunts of the raven. Mr. Mac- 

 gillivray treats very fully of its habits, and gives much desirable in- 

 formation (vol. i.) ; as Audubon likewise does, from personal observa- 

 tion in America. The raven is honoured with a place in those de- 

 lightful articles in 'Blackwood's Magazine' for 1826, entitled 'A 

 Glance over Selby's Ornithology,' in which the keen observer of the 

 habits of birds is evident, through the wit and imagination investing 

 the whole subject. 



Carrion Crow, Corvus Corone, Linn. — This species was 

 noticed by Smith as one of the birds of the county of Cork ; 

 but that it is not well known in Ireland is sufficiently indicated 

 by the absence of its name from Mr. Templeton's published 

 catalogue of the native vertebrate animals. In the MSS. of 

 that eminent naturalist it is remarked — " I have not seen 

 this bird, but from what I have heard am inclined to think it 

 is found about Dundalk." Its not being distinguished from 

 its equally sable congener the rook, is one reason for the car- 

 rion crow being considered more rare than it really isf. About 

 the river Lagan, within the flow of the tide, and along the 

 shores of Belfast Bay, this bird is by no means scarce, and 

 feeds upon any animal matter cast up by the waves, but more 



* ' Itineraire de Paris a Jerusalem.' 



f Since the above was written, the 1st volume of ' Tracts relating to Ire- 

 land, printed for the Irish Archaeological Society,' has appeared. In ' A 

 Brife description of Ireland, made in this yeere 1589, by Robert Payne,' 

 it is stated, — " There is not that place in Ireland where anye venomous 

 thinge will Hue. There is neither mol, pye, nor carren crow." In a note 

 to this, Dr. Aquila Smith of Dublin (who edited the memoir) remarks — 

 •' Of the carren or carrion crow {Corvus corone), we have not any authority 

 as to the date of its introduction into Ireland. Moryson [in 1617] says, 

 we have not the blacke crow, but onely crowes of mingled colour, such as 

 wee call Royston crowes," part iii. b. .3. p. 160. Although the attractive 

 magi^ie may have been introduced to this country, I cannot think that the 

 carrion crow ever was, but believe it to be strictly indigenous ; its compa- 

 rative scarcity in this island, together with the reason adduced above, caused 

 it, I conceive, to be overlooked. 



