THE CARRION-CROW AND THE HOODED-CROW 26 



is proved by the readiness with which a bird, whose mate has been 

 shot, finds a new one, not only once but repeatedly. A good example 

 is provided by the case of a hooded-crow, whose husband, a carrion- 

 crow, had been shot. She secured another, also of the black 

 species. It was shot. She returned with a third. Also shot. Yet 

 the " dauntless widow returned with another black mate within a few 

 hours," only to lose him in the same way. How many more she 

 might have led to destruction must remain a mystery, for she herself 

 and her young were the next victims. 1 



Both the hooded- and carrion-crow, like the raven, are in the habit 

 of breeding in scattered pairs. They may repair their old nest each 

 year, if the winter storms have left it standing ; or, they may build a 

 new, usually in the same place, which they are forced to quit only by 

 repeated persecution. Naumann states that it takes a pair of hooded- 

 crows a day to repair, and two or three days to build their home. Both 

 species sometimes show considerable originality in the choice of 

 material. The grey form has been known to build up a nest on a 

 foundation of bones, in one case measuring a yard across and a foot 

 in depth, the chief contributors being ponies and sheep. 2 



An interesting account of the care of the young hooded-crows 

 in a nest found at Raasay, north of the Isle of Skye, is given by 

 Dr. F. Heatherley in Country Life: "I had a unique opportunity of 

 watching the hoodies at home, as during that time (3.10 to 6.30 P.M.) 

 the pair came to the nest and fed the young on an average every ten 

 minutes, sometimes only two or three minutes apart, occasionally 

 both together, and then perhaps a wait of twenty minutes. The 

 young, as a rule, sat quietly ; only once did I see any quarrelling in 

 the nest. The most striking thing about them was the brilliant colour 

 of the gape. As soon as one of the old birds came in sight, the quiet 

 nest turned into four croaking crimson tulips. I never saw the old 

 birds carrying any food, although I must have seen the young fed 

 about fifty times; it was always a matter of regurgitation. The 



1 E. Gray, Birds of the West of Scotland. " Saxby, Birds of Shetland. 



D 



