CROW. 37 



spot where the mole had been so long hid, and, to my surprise, 

 he came out with it in the twinkling of an eve.' 



Its flight is not loftv, and is generally sedate and direct, 

 performed by regular flappings. Its walk too resembles that 

 of the Raven. 



The Crow feeds on all sorts of animal food, alive and dead, 

 and its sense of perception, whatever it be, is as acute as 

 that of the Raven. It is a most predaceous bird, and a fell 

 and relentless destroyer of any creature it can master; young 

 lambs, among which it often does much damage, leverets, 

 young rabbits, pigeons, ducks, and the young of game and 

 poultry, Crustacea, fish, shell-fish, which it breaks open by 

 letting fall from a height upon the rocks, as also at times 

 fruit, vegetables, grain, berries, potatoes, tadpoles, frogs, snakes, 

 insects, eggs of all birds, which it cither transfixes with, or 

 holds in its bill, and so removes; walnuts; in fact anything. 

 One which carried off a duckling from a pond, in its bill, 

 was observed to kill it by walking forwards and backwards 

 over it; another was seen to seize and kill a Sparrow engaged 

 at the moment in inducing its young ones to fly: Montagu 

 saw one chase and pounce at a Pigeon, like a Hawk, and 

 strike another dead from the roof of a barn. These birds 

 will hide any redundant food for a future occasion; and Colonel 

 Montagu saw a pair of them thus removing small fish left 

 by the tide above high-water mark. He also saw one of them 

 make repeated pounces at some animal, in a field where the 

 js was long, which raised itself 011 its hind legs, and de- 

 fended itself stoutly; it proved to be a leveret: a small one 

 has been seen to be carried off in the air by one of these 

 bird?. Mr. Hogg saw one dart out at, and chase, but unsuc- 

 ''ully, a Grouse, which his approach had been the means 

 ; from the talons of a large Hawk. 



The ( Vow is often garrulous like the Magpie, and its note 

 is a croak like that of the Raven, but hoarser. Nidification 

 begins the end of February, or beginning of March, both 

 birds helping to make the nest. 



The iK.-st is built in rocks or in trees, generally high up, 

 and is made of sticks, firmly cemented with clay, and lined 

 with roots, and again with straw, wool, moss, fur, hair, or 

 any tiling else that is soft: the latter the Crows pull for the 

 purpose from the backs of animals. A pair built on the 

 ground in one of the Fern islands, and their nest was made 

 of pieces of turf laid one upon another, and lined with wool, 



