2 THE CARRION CROW. 



the raven, its plumage, habits, and general characteristics 

 being in all respects extremely similar. 



In captivity its thievish propensities also present a 

 strong family likeness to the domesticated habits of the 

 raven ; and, also like that bird, it acquires the art of re- 

 peating words, and indulging in various imitative noises. 



The Carrion Crow frequents thickly-wooded districts, 

 and builds its nest on some large branch of a tree close to 

 the trunk, as shown in the illustration at the end. The nest 

 is composed of sticks and twigs loosely put together, the 

 inside being thickly and comfortably lined with wool, hair, 

 and dried grass. The breeding season commences early ; 

 and the eggs, from four to six in number, are of a pale 

 bluish-green, undertinted with grey, spotted with ash colour 

 and clove brown, and rather more than an inch in length. 



The Carrion Crow is by no means sociable in its habits ; 

 it never breeds near the nests of other birds, not even of 

 its own species, and is seldom seen except singly or in 

 pairs j occasionally, however, small bands may be observed 

 in severe weather, or engaged upon some unusually attrac- 

 tive carcase. The bird evinces the most stubborn par- 

 tiality for certain localities, and when once a pair have taken 

 a fancy to some favoured spot, they resort to it with the 

 most unfailing constancy. It matters but little how they 

 may be assailed by gamekeepers, or tormented by school- 

 boys ; nothing will induce them to abandon their haunts. 

 Even when captured or destroyed, a second pair will 

 speedily make their appearance, and exhibit a similar 

 amount of pertinacity. As an instance of this peculiarity 

 in the Carrion Crow, it may be mentioned that the writer 

 in 1869 took five young ones from a nest in a clump of 

 beech trees (a locality very seldom visited), near Stanmer 



