210 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



flight and in many of its habits the Chough 

 resembles the Jackdaw, and its cackling note is 

 also very similar. The Chough comes inland to 

 feed, and may then be seen following the plough 

 and digging up the newly sown grain, running 

 to and fro, and occasionally flying a little way 

 from one part of the field to another. The food 

 of the Chough is composed of insects, worms, 

 and grain, and of various substances found upon 

 the beach, where the bird sometimes alights. 

 The Chough breeds in May, making its nest in 

 crevices and holes in the cliffs, in situations often 

 quite inaccessible to man. The nest is made of 

 sticks, turf, and dry grass, and lined with wool, 

 and occasionally with hair. The eggs are from 

 four to six in number, varying from bluish or 

 greenish w r hite to pale creamy buff in ground 

 colour, spotted and blotched with light and dark 

 brown and gray. 



It is also on the sea-cliffs that the nest of the 

 widely RAVEN (Corvus cor ax] may now almost only be 



distributed. r , v ^ i r i i T- > 



but very found. Jb ew and far between are the Ravens 

 nests round English coasts ; but in Scotland, 

 especially in the north, this handsome bird is still 

 common, and may be met with in a great variety 

 of scenery, both inland, on the mountain sheep- 

 farms, and on the coast. Its habits are very 

 similar to those of the Carrion Crow. It is con- 

 stantly prying about in quest of plunder, and as 

 its food consists pretty well of every living 

 creature it can overpower or capture, it may be 

 met with almost everywhere. At all seasons it 

 appears to be socially inclined, yet not what we 

 can call gregarious. The Raven is an early 

 breeder, and one which undoubtedly pairs for 



