30 cuouuii. 



that of the Jackdaw, but may be distinguished from it, 

 and is rendered by Meyer by the words, 'creea, creea,' and 

 'deea.' It has also a chatter, like the Starling. 



The nest is made of sticks, and is lined with wool and hair. 

 It is placed in the most inaccessible clefts and cavities of 

 cliffs, or in old church or other towers, generally in the 

 neighbourhood of the sea, but not always, as will have appeared 

 from the previous and other statements. 



The eggs, four or five in number, are dull white spotted 

 with grey and brown, most at the thicker end. 



Male; length, between one foot four and one foot five inches; 

 bill, red; yellow within it is said to be very brittle: iris, red 

 in the centre, surrounded by a circle of blue. The whole 

 plumage is black, glossed with blue. The wings reach nearly 

 to the end of the tail; the first feather is three inches shorter 

 than the second, which is one inch shorter than the third, 

 and the third a little less than the fourth, which is the 

 longest in the wing. The tail is of a more metallic lustre 

 than the rest of the plumage. Legs and toes, red; claws, 

 glossy black, large, and much hooked. 



The female weighs about fourteen ounces; length, between 

 one loot two and one foot three inches; her bill is shorter 

 than that of the male. The quill feathers are less black than 

 in the male. 



The young birds have but little of the purple gloss. Iris, 

 yellowish brown; legs, orange. 



