THE NUTCRACKER 57 



distinguished as the ' Cornish Chough ', from the rocky district 

 which it frequented. The famous lines in King Lear — 



The Crows and Choughs that wing the midway air 

 Show scarce so gross as beetles : 



point probably to the Jackdaw, which is abundant on the rocky 

 coast of Kent, where the Chough has not been observed, though 

 there is a traditional account of a pair which many years ago 

 escaped from confinement and bred there. By its flight it is 

 scarcely to be distinguished from the Jackdaw ; but if it comes 

 near enough to the observer to betray the vermilion colour of 

 its legs, it may be known at once, and, seen on the ground, its long 

 curved bill, and more slender form, sufficiently distinguish it from 

 all others to which it assimilates in colour and size. 



Not many years since, the Chough was far from uncommon in 

 several parts of the coast of Devon and Cornwall. It is now much 

 less frequent, though it still lingers about the Lizard in the latter 

 county, and is said to breed in the high cliffs near Combe Martin 

 in Devonshire, in both of which places I have often looked out 

 sharply for it, but have never been quite satisfied that I have seen 

 one. It is said also to haunt the precipitous coast of several other 

 parts of Great Britain, and to be found also in many parts of Ire- 

 land ; in the Channel, especially in Guernsey, it is fairly common, 

 but always preferring the least frequented localities. The peculiar 

 habits of a bird so uncommon and secluded are little known, so far 

 at least as they are characteristic of the bird in its wild state. In 

 captivity its ways differ little from those of the rest of its tribe. 

 It is inquisitive, intrusive, captious in temper, disposed to become 

 attached to those who treat it well, fond of attracting notice ; in a 

 word, it surpasses in intelligence most other tribes of birds, ranking 

 among those members of the brute creation whose instinct amounts 

 to something more than a formal compliance with certain laws 

 which the rational creation has arbitrarily set down for their 

 government. Insects and the rejectamenta of the sea-shore and 

 occasionally grain form its diet. It builds its nest of sticks, and 

 lines it with wool and hair, preferring a cleft in a rock, but not 

 refusing any old ruin conveniently situated for its purpose. It lays 

 four or five eggs. 



THE NUTCRACKER 



NUCiFRAGA CARYOCATACTES 



Plumage sooty brown, spotted on the back and under parts with white j tail 

 black, barred with white at the extremity ; beak and feet horn-colour ; 

 iris brown. Length thirteen inches. Eggs light buff, with a few greyish 

 brown spots. 



The Nutcracker Crow, a rare straggler, must not be confounded 

 with the Nuthatch, which we have already described; the for- 



