HOODED CROW. 545 



the Scandinavian birds migrate to Holland, Belgium, and Northern France, 

 and even to England, to winter ; and many of the Siberian birds, together 

 with hybrids of every degree, winter in Turkestan. This bird migrates 

 by day. When I was in Heligoland, during the first week of October 

 large flocks of Hooded Crows were frequently passing over, and sometimes 

 a scattered and straggling stream continued all day long. Their flight 

 was heavy and laborious, and frequently at no great height above the sea, 

 many of them on landing having to rise to the edge of the cliff, where 

 they stopped a short time and then passed on. 



Dixon made the following notes on this bird in Lincolnshire : " In 

 many parts of England the Hooded Crow is a well-known migratory bird, 

 whose arrival in the autumn is looked for with almost as much interest as 

 that of the Swallow and the Cuckoo in spring. One of the localities 

 where Hooded Crows abound in autumn is on the low-lying coasts of 

 Lincolnshire, from a few miles south of Skegness to the Boston Deeps. 

 On this noble expanse of salt marsh, whose monotony is enlivened with 

 hordes of wading birds, with Gulls and Ducks, the Hooded Crow is one of 

 the commonest of birds from October till the following spring. They 

 make their appearance about the middle of October so regularly, in fact, 

 that the fisherfolk and coastguardsmen, well versed in the bird-life of the 

 district, will tell you that by no chance will the Swallow and the Crow 

 be seen in the air together ; the date of departure of the one bird is 

 the signal for the approach of the other. They appear to migrate in the 

 daytime; and I have seen them, in little parties, in pairs, or singly, arriving 

 from the sea during the whole day. This migration goes on for weeks; 

 if the weather be favourable they are incessantly pouring in from the 

 east. Upon these extensive marshes the Hooded Crow obtains the 

 greater part of its food. It also Hies inland for considerable distances, 

 and is as frequently seen on the ploughed fields, the stubbles, and the 

 pastures as the Rook. I must confess that, in spite of the dark tales of 

 plunder and his questionable mode of getting a livelihood, the Hooded 

 Crow is a favourite bird of mine, and his habits and regular movements 

 never fail to interest me. The powerful flight of this bird may be 

 witnessed to perfection here as he flies over the sea-banks from the flow- 

 ing tide to the pastures. He is not by any means a shy bird, and by 

 advancing in a side direction I have often succeeded in shooting him. 

 Many authorities state that the Hooded Crow does not feed on grain ; 

 but this is not the case. Here, especially in the neighbourhood of 

 Friskney, the Hooded Crow during the time autumn sowing is going on 

 lives almost exclusively on grain, seeking it just like the Rook. This I 

 have ascertained beyond doubt by dissection. It will also feed on grass 

 and slender shoots of herbage. Upon the marshes it is actively engaged 

 in search of sand- worms, small crabs, and cockles. With the marsh-men 



VOL. i. 2 N 



