142 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



years old in 1887, ten years old in 1890, and twelve years old in 1891 ; since 

 which time it has been contented with a twelve-month year : possibly there may 

 have" been three cock birds ; but, with a species the nestlings of which must be 

 difficult to secure, this would seem less probable than that an error had occurred 

 in stating the age, due perhaps to the fact of no record having been kept to 

 which reference could be made. That the Chough can be induced to breed in a 

 state of partial domestication has been proved by Lady Nevill (" Zoologist," 1882, 

 p. 431); she says: "For years when I lived at Dangstein I kept Choughs (P. 

 graculus) able to fly where they liked. They once attempted to make a nest in a 

 stoke-hole, but were disturbed, and never did so again. On my removal to East 

 Sussex I brought the Choughs (two pairs) with me, and the next year one pair 

 made their nest in a tower attached to the house, and laid three eggs : but they 

 did not sit well, and the eggs were not hatched : two of them were pulled out of 

 the nest. The one pair drove the others away, for when they first came they all 

 roosted in the tower." 



It seems extremely probable that breeding experiments with one pair would be 

 successful. There is, however, one very strong objection to Choughs in captivity : 

 I understand that my friend Mr. Reginald Phillipps, a very well-known aviculturist, 

 at one time attempted to keep these birds; but the noise which they made was 

 so appalling that the neighbours were driven to the verge of madness, and he 

 wisely parted with his pets before any tragic climax had been arrived at. 



Family COR V 



THE NUTCRACKER. 



Nucifraga caryocatactcs, I/INN. 



o 



CCURS in pine-forests throughout the Palsearctic Region ; breeding in 

 Europe, in South Norway, Sweden, some of the islands of the Baltic, the 



