BRITISH BIRDS. 93 



or greyish-yellow, closely speckled with greenish-brown ; 

 size i -35 by 1-05. 



GENUS LVI. CORVUS, Linnaeus (1766). 

 Bill moderately long, stout, strong, compressed, upper 

 mandible rather longer than lower, and decurved towards 

 tip ; wings long, ample ; tail moderate, rounded. 



119. Corvus monedula, Linn. JACKDAW. 



Hab. Eastern Palaearctic region ; scarce in extreme 

 south of Europe ; occurs in N.W. Africa. 



Male : nape and sides of neck light ash-grey ; 

 remaining plumage glossy sooty-black ; bill and tarsi 

 black; iris white. Length 13*00. Female: nape darker t 



A common resident ; generally distributed. Breeds in 

 ruins, unused chimneys, hollow trees, or sea-cliffs ; nest 

 being a pile of sticks with a cup-shaped lining of straw, 

 wool and feathers. Eggs : 5 or 6 ; greenish-white with 

 distinct markings of dark olive-brown and lilac grey, 

 rather sparingly distributed ; size 1-45 by 1.05. Flight 

 rather irregular. Note : sharp and querulous, uttered on 

 the wing. 



120. Corvus eorone, Linn. CARRION-CROW. 



Hab. Europe, excepting extreme north. 



Male : whole plumage black, glossed with green and 

 purple ; bill black, clothed at base with reversed bristly 

 feathers; tarsi black ; iris grey. Length 1 8 'oo. Female: 

 plumage less glossy. 



Moderately common throughout Britain, excepting north 

 of Scotland, but of very casual occurrence in Ireland. 

 Abundant in Middlesex, placing its nest in all kinds of 

 trees at a height of between 20 and 40 feet ; nests 

 are always found singly, unlike the Rook's, from which 



