52 CHOUGH JAY. 



Family COEVID^E. 

 CHOUGH (Pyrrhocorax graculus). 



Besident; extremely local, and probably a decreasing species. 

 Found most frequently in Cornwall, North Devon, Luncly 

 Island, West Wales, and Channel Islands. 



Haunts. Wild and rugged sea cliffs. 



Plumage. Black, with purple and green reflections. Bill 

 orange-vermilion and arched. Legs orange-vermilion. Length 

 16 in. Female, slightly smaller. Young, beak and legs dull 

 orange colour. 



Language. It utters a note like " chough," reminding one 

 of the Jackdaw. Another cry, a clear metallic "kling." 



Habits. Gregarious, and always nesting in communities, like 

 the Jackdaw. It flies in a series of curves, at intervals closing- 

 its pinions and dropping towards the ground, then rising again. 

 It both walks and hops on the ground. 



Food. Insects and their larvae, worms, marine mollusca, and 

 refuse left by the receding tide. Also berries and grain. 



Nest. April or May. One brood. 



Site. In hole or cleft in the cliffs, in ruins, and the like, and 

 generally inaccessible. 



Materials. Sticks, twigs, sprigs of heather, &c., lined with 

 dry grass, roots, fur, wool, and hair. 



Eggs. Four to six. Greenish white, spotted, blotched, and 

 streaked more or less with varying shades of brown and grey. 

 Bather variable. 



JAY (Garrulus glandarius). 



Besident. Bather rare in Scotland ; otherwise pretty com- 

 monly met with in woodland districts. Essentially a bird of 

 the woods. 



Plumage. Crest fairly well-defined and greyish white, streaked 

 with black ; moustachial streak black. Plumage generally grey 

 tinged with rufous, and darker above than below. Bump and 

 upper tail-coverts white conspicuous in flight. Chin and throat 

 buffish white. Primaries blackish, secondaries deep black and 

 white ; greater wing-coverts barred with black, white, and 

 bright blue. Tail black. Bill horn-colour. Legs pale brown. 

 Length 14J in. Female and young similar. 



Language. A harsh scream like " chaik." It has certain 

 imitative powers. 



Habits. It shuns mankind, and always seeks concealment 

 among the tree tops. Very active, alert and exceedingly in- 

 quisitive if no danger appears to be at hand. When perching 



