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THE HOODED, OR ROYSTON CROW (Corvus comix). 



The hooded crow, otherwise called the ash-coloured crow, 

 is even more mischievous to game than the carrion crow. 

 It is very common in the west and north of Scotland, where 

 it breeds; the inroads made upon the species by the inces- 

 sant attacks of the keepers being made up by fresh migra- 

 tions from Sweden and Norway, which come over in the 

 autumn. In the south they rarely breed, but make their 

 appearance on the eastern coast with the woodcocks, and are 

 particularly numerous about Royston, whence they are 

 named. Their habits are similar to those of the carrion crow. 

 The length of this crow is twenty inches ; beak strong and 

 shiny black, half covered with black feathers ; head, cheeks, 

 throat, front of neck, wings, and tail of a brilliant black; 

 nape of the neck, back, rump, and under surface a smoke 

 grey ; legs, toes, and claws black. These birds breed early 

 in the year, making their nests in trees and rocks on the 

 sea-coast, composed of sticks, lined with hair or wool. The 

 eggs are four or five in number, the ground of a light green 

 mottled with greenish brown; length one inch ten lines 

 breadth one inch three lines. 



THE JACKDAW (Corvus monedula). 



The jackdaw is found all over England wherever there 

 are high buildings for it to nest in. It is not accused of 

 destroying live game, but it has occasionally been known to 

 suck eggs, and hence it is proscribed by the strict school of 

 gamekeepers. Its haunts, however, are so different, and the 

 benefits it confers upon the farmer by its insectivorous appe- 

 tite are so great, that I cannot help thinking it should be 

 allowed to escape. Of course, if a particular jackdaw is 

 known to be an egg-sucker he must suffer the penalty, but 

 an indiscriminate massacre of these birds is scarcely desirable. 



The length of the jackdaw is fourteen inches; beak black 

 and half covered with feathers; iris greyish white; crown 

 black; nape of the neck and shoulders dark grey; rest of 

 the body and wings black; bluish on the wings and rusty 

 below; legs, toes, and claws black. The nest is built of 



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