THE HOODED CROW. 179 



is called, is the crow, and the rook and carrion crow are but 

 little known. 



When in the south, the hooded crows usually appear in 

 small flocks, and come not only to the corn-fields but to the 

 neighbourhood of villages and even of towns, gather any 

 garbage that they can find, and play the scavenger in the 

 kennels and at the laystalls. On the sea-shore they are not 

 uncommon, where they pick up dead fish and birds, or any 

 sort of animal substance, no matter how decayed or putrid, 

 that may have been left grounded by the tide. They are 

 also said to be adroit in opening muscles and cockles, and in 

 twitching limpets off the rocks, or even in boring or hewing 

 through the shells of such as -they cannot detach. It is also 

 said that the large limpets sometimes close upon their bills, till 

 they are retained and drowned, which may be true, as the 

 limpets hold on with the cloak, and not the shell ; and there 

 are limpets so large, that the adhesion is equal to a force of 

 from twenty to thirty pounds. 



They also prowl about the preserves, warrens, and pas- 

 tures, and if they find any animal in a disabled or weakly 

 state, they punch out its eyes ; and if they are not able to 

 kill it on the spot, leave it to perish, and return to the carrion 

 at their leisure. In the north, they carry on similar depre- 

 dations during the whole summer. The number of eggs and 

 young birds of grous, and other species, which they destroy 

 is very great ; and in some places of the Highlands and the 

 northern isles, and especially in the Faroe Islands, they rob 

 the ground of the seed corn and seed potatoes. 



During their breeding time they disperse, because the up- 

 lands, where they have their nests, could not support a large 

 colony of birds so voracious ; but they do not pass immedi- 

 ately to the breeding places. They get back as they may, 

 according to their powers of flight, and meet at some ren- 

 dezvous j in all probability, near the place where they were 



