10 THE CROW FAMILY 



2. Distribution. On the Continent it is very local, but is found in mountain 

 ranges such as the Alps, Pyrenees, and the Spanish Sierras, as well as on the rocky 

 coasts : it is chiefly confined to the south, and does not occur anywhere north of 

 the Baltic. Outside Europe it is found in the Canaries, in the mountain ranges of 

 Asia from Asia Minor to E. Siberia, and in the mountainous regions of Abyssinia. 

 The range of this species in Great Britain is now much more restricted than formerly, 

 and it has practically disappeared from our south coast with the exception of Devon 

 and Cornwall. In Wales, too, it is now scarce, but it breeds in the Isle of Man, 

 and is not uncommon along the west coast of Ireland and some of the islands of 

 the Inner Hebrides. [F. c. R. j.] 



3. Migration. In the British Isles it is practically sedentary, although hi 

 Ireland it occasionally assembles in considerable flocks, and stragglers have been 

 met with some distance from their breeding haunts, [r. c. B. J.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Nesting place : holes or crevices in cliffs, also fre- 

 quently in fissures or on ledges in caves. Occasionally in ruined buildings, dis- 

 used limekilns, or mine-shafts. Nest : sticks, stems, roots, lined with wool, hair, 

 fibres, or other fine material. Both sexes share in its construction (Bailly, Ornith. 

 de la Savoie ; Konig, quoted in Naumann), The eggs, 3-5, sometimes 6, in number, 

 are sometimes white, sometimes cream colour, more rarely with a rosy bloom, 

 sometimes yellowish or brownish, spotted and speckled with sepia or reddish brown, 

 and underlying lilac spots or blotches. One variety is pure white with a few bold 

 deep brown spots, another has the ground tinged with green (Ussher and Warren, 

 Birds of Ireland). (PL A.) Average size of 100 British eggs, 1-55x1-09 in. 

 [39-46 x 27-94 mm.]. Laying usually begins late in April or in May. The hen 

 incubates (Brehm ; P. G. Ralfe, B. of Isle of Man). Period of incubation 18-20 

 days (A. Girtanner, Zool. Garten, 1877). The young remain in the nest about 30 

 days (Field, 1907, June, p. 870, J. A. Walpole Bond). One brood (A. Girtanner, 

 op. cit. ; Ussher and Warren, B. of Ireland), [r. c. B. J. P. B. K.] 



5. Food. Practically omnivorous, especially in cold weather. Usual food, 

 insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, also berries. The young are fed on insects, 

 spiders, snails, later small rodents, lizards, etc. Both parents share this task. 

 [F. B. K.] 



6. Song Period. See p. 63. 



The following are described in the supplementary chapter on " Rare Birds" : 

 Alpine Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus (L.). (P. alpinus.) 

 Nutcracker, Nucifraga caryocatdctes (L.). 



