1 66 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



have, from time to time, remained to breed ; whilst in the Isle of Man it is 

 believed to breed regularly. Throughout Scotland and Ireland it is pretty 

 generally distributed, resident, and common, interbreeding occasionally with the 

 Carrion Crow in the former country. 



The typical Hooded Crow has the head, throat, and front of breast, wings, 

 tail, and thighs black, with purple and green gloss ; remainder of plumage ashy- 

 grey, with the exception of the centre of the upper tail-coverts which is blackish, 

 becoming quite black close to the tail ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown. The 

 female is similar in plumage, but slightly smaller, and the young are duller in 

 colour. 



There is a large migration of Scandinavian Hoodies southwards at the 

 approach of winter, to which fact we owe our seasonal visitation. 



The late Henry Stevenson in his " Birds of Norfolk," says : " The Royston 

 or Grey-backed Crow, as this species is also called, visits us in autumn in large 

 numbers, arriving about the first week in October, though occasionally earlier, and 

 leaves again by the end of March or beginning of April. They frequent for the 

 most part the broads and marshes near the rivers, particularly the mouths of tidal 

 streams, and are extremely numerous on the sea coast, where they also gradually 

 collect together towards the time of their departure in spring. It is fortunate for 

 Norfolk that this destructive species leaves us so regularly in the breeding-season, 

 as no greater enemy to the game-keeper probably exists, neither eggs nor young 

 birds, nor indeed, in some cases, old ones either, being safe from its prying eyes 

 and carnivorous propensities. There are, however, one or two instances on record 

 of its having remained to nest in this neighbourhood, but not of late years." 



Mr. Stevenson also quotes the following from St. John's " Natural History 

 and Sport in Moray," p. 59: "It kills newly-born lambs, picking out the eyes 

 and tongue while the poor creature is still alive. It preys on young grouse, 

 partridges, hares, etc., and is very destructive to eggs of all sorts. In certain 

 feeding spots in the woods I have seen the remains of eggs of the most extra- 

 ordinary variety and number. No sooner does a wild duck, pheasant, or any bird 

 leave its nest, than the Hooded Crow is on the look-out, and I have no doubt 

 that a single pair often destroys many hundred eggs in the course of a season. 

 All birds seem aware of this, and Peewits, Gulls, Redshanks, etc., attack most 

 furiously any Crow which they see hunting near their nests. The ' hoody ' is 

 also very fond of young ducks, and destroys great numbers. In the mountains 

 it is bold enough to make prize of the eggs of the eagle, peregrine falcon, or 

 osprey, if the parent birds happen to be driven off their nests." 



In their "Notes from Redcar" (Zoologist, 1893, p. 6) speaking of the immi- 



