THE CEOW TEIBE. 61 



ADDITIONAL. This is a rare bird in Britain, although common 

 enough in Germany and many other parts of the European con- 

 tinent ; it is sometimes called the Passarine, or Hawk Owl. 

 English naturalists say but little about it. YAKIIELL'S account of 

 the bird consists principally of a repetition of BECHSTEIN, with 

 an enumeration of the different specimens which he has seen or 

 heard of in this country, amounting in all, to about twenty. 

 MUDIE says that " when seen here it is generally in the autumn, 

 so that it may be blown across in the course of its autumnal 

 migration ; but it is worthy of remark, that it is not confined to 

 the mere verge of the eastern sea, as European birds generally 

 are when they drift, but has been noticed also in the west and 

 south-west." Further that " it resorts to the vicinity of human 

 dwellings, and nestles, and generally hides itself for the day, in 

 holes of old walls. It is an industrious and successful mouser, and 

 though its wings are not very long, it is more quick in the use of 

 them than some of the larger species. Its flight is not confined 

 to the twilight, for though that be the time when it is most success- 

 ful in mousing, it hawks especially on dark and cloudy days, 

 during which it may be seen in pursuit of swallows, opposing a 

 direct flight to their wheeling one, and endeavouring to meet 

 them as they come round." The ordinary cry of this bird, which 

 it repeats flying, is Poupou, poupou ; but when it settles down 

 it emits a louder and clearer cry, something like " Aime, heme, 

 esmi." 



II. THE COEYID^E,* OE CROW TEIBE. 



BIKDS of this class have a somewhat compressed, more or 

 less curved, knife-shaped, moderately sized bill. Their feet 

 are short, generally strong, divided, and adapted partly for 

 climbing, partly for walking. They feed on insects, worms, 

 the flesh and excrement of other animals, and sometimes also 

 on seeds and fruits. Some few are valued for their song, but 

 the majority for their plumage, or powers of speaking. 



ADDITIONAL. The first and most important family in MAC- 

 GILLIVRAT'S 6th order, the Vagatrices, or Wanderers, are the Cor- 

 vine birds, or Crows ; a family containing some of the most 

 familiar and interesting of our native species. Many of them are 

 almost indiscriminate feeders, and hence the term Omnivora has 

 been applied to the whole order, although it is by no means a 

 satisfactory distinction. In all parts of the globe birds belonging 



* Coraces. Krdhenarttge Vogel, BECHSTEIN. 



