THE CROW FAMILY 



stout sticks, roots, stems, sometimes seaweed, solidified with earth and lined with 

 wool, hair, fur, fibres, grass, and other soft material. (PL I.) Both sexes share 

 in its construction (Bailly, Ornith. de la Savoie ; Saxby, B. of Shetland ; W. Borrer, 

 B. of Sussex). The eggs, usually 4-6, rarely 3 or 7, in number, are generally 

 greenish, blotched and flecked with various shades of brown up to black, and 

 underlying markings of ashy grey, but the ground-colour is sometimes clear blue, 

 and occasionally the markings are almost entirely absent. (PI. A.) A very 

 rare reddish type has occurred in the Shetlands (A. Newton, Ootheca Wolleyana, 

 i. p. 524). Average size of 79 British eggs, 1 '96x1 -32 in. [49 '8 x 33 '5 mm.]. 

 Laying begins usually in February-March. Both sexes incubate, Brehm's state- 

 ment to the contrary notwithstanding. Period of incubation 18-20 days. One 

 brood. [F. c. R. j. F. B. K.] 



5. Food. Practically omnivorous ; but usually carrion ; occasionally 

 wounded or weakly sheep, also rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, 

 molluscs, crustaceans, worms, insects, spiders, eggs, fruit, grain. The young 

 are fed by both parents on carrion, especially the placenta of sheep, on 

 worms, insects, small mammals, young birds, eggs, frogs. [F. B. K.] 



6. Song Period. See p. 12. 



CARRION-CROW \C6rvus corone, Linnaeus. Corbie-crow, gor-crow, 

 cloup. French, corneille ; German, Rabenkrahe ; Italian, comacchi nera]. 



i. Description. Black with purple and green reflections. (See above 



- under Raven.) Length 19 in. [482 

 mm.]. (PL 2.) Female smaller and 

 duller. The young before the first 

 autumn moult lack the reflections. 

 [F. B. K.] 



2. Distribution. On the Con- 

 tinent of Europe it is chiefly con- 

 fined to the west and south-east : 

 the Iberian Peninsula, France, the 

 Low Countries, West Germany, 

 Switzerland, North Italy, some dis- 

 tricts of Austro-Hungary and South 

 Russia. Although general throughout England and Wales, and not un- 

 common in the south of Scotland, it is absent from Ireland and the Isle 



Fig. 1. CARRION-CKOW. 



(Natural size.) 



