HOODED CROW. 177 



vegetable diet. Pennant, in his Tour in Scotland (8vo ed., 

 1772, p. 83), mentions that "for want of other food it will eat 

 cranberries and other mountain berries;" and Mrs Blackburn 

 states that it feeds on the berries of the mountain ash. 



The following notes, taken from the correspondence of Mr 

 Graham, give a graphic description of the everyday life of. this 

 bird, as observed by that gentleman in the island of lona, where 

 it is very abundant: "The black carrion crow is unknown in 

 the western isles so far as my experience goes, but to make up for 

 it we have no end of hoodie crows. The hoodie has got a terrible 

 name, and his best friend could hardly say one word in his 

 favour, supposing he ever had such a thing as a friend, which is 

 improbable. A greedy, cowardly, destructive creature, his appear- 

 ance is ugly and his voice hateful. But though no doubt ready 

 enough to commit any villainy against eggs, young game, chickens, 

 and even young lambs, yet in these wild districts, where there is 

 not much game to injure, he subsists' almost entirely on the 

 bountiful provision afforded by the receding tide, and upon this 

 multiplies exceedingly. Often at feeding time I might string five 

 or six at a shot, as they are too hungry and too impudent to get 

 out of the way. Here you see a grave synod of sombre-hued 

 creatures gathered round a huge stranded fish; there one flies up 

 in the air with a crab which he lets fall in hopes of it breaking on 

 the rock beneath. If he fails in the first attempt, he flies a little 

 higher next time, but he himself always descends so quickly as to 

 alight almost at the same instant as the desired morsel, perhaps 

 lest one of the brethren should put in a claim for it. On the grass 

 above high water mark are one or two favourite rocks where they 

 carry the molluscs they have picked up to be cracked and opened 

 at leisure. These favoured spots are marked by perfect mounds 

 of shells and their debris. While all busy searching for food little 

 noise is heard among them, but should a hawk come sailing by he 

 is instantly assailed by all the voices and united strength of the 

 company, which cordially join in driving off the interloper. Some- 

 times an innocent heron is rudely assailed in this way, and it is 

 very amusing to see her distracted manner as she flounders away 

 on her great wings, shouting and screaming with imbecile rage at 

 her tormentors, who never come to close quarters, and seem to 

 do it out of pure wanton love of mischief. 



At night these birds roost among the cliffs, where in summer 



M 



