CORVID^i. 219 



Soon after this occurrence a letter appeared in the 

 Taunton papers from Sir Alexander Hood claiming 

 these birds as escapes from his park, and saying that 

 they had paired and strayed away from St. Audries, 

 where he had for years kept a few, hoping they 

 would breed, and thus this interesting and rare bird 

 would again become naturalized on our coast. 

 Whether these birds were really Sir Alexander's, or 

 some driven from their own homes either by their 

 enemies the Jackdaws or by some of their own 

 species to seek a new nesting-place, ma}' still appear 

 doubtful ; there was certainly no mark of domestica- 

 tion about them ; their plumage was perfect : on the 

 other hand, they were perhaps tamer than is usual 

 with these birds, although I have seen them both at 

 Lundy Island and in Guernsey, where they are 

 plentiful, come about farm-houses and other build- 

 ings in search of food. 



This bird is often called the " Cornish Chough," 

 but there seems to be no particular reason for that 

 name being given to it, as it is quite as common in 

 many other counties, both in England and Wales, 

 that suit its habits. Near this county it is to be 

 found, as I before said, in Lundy Island and in both 

 the neighbouring counties of Devon and Dorset, and, 

 on the opposite coast of Wales, in Glamorganshire 

 and in Pembrokeshire, in which latter county I have 

 seen these birds in considerable numbers, and 

 according to Yarrell one has been killed in the 



