CHOUGH. 93 



bleating of a lamb, the mewing of a cat, the hooting 

 of an owl, the neighing of a horse, the shriek of the 

 Buzzard, the song of the Greenfinch, the human voice, 

 the note of the Kite, the warbling of birds, the crowing 

 of a cock, the bark of a dog and the calling of fowls to 

 their food ". 



The Jay indulges in a great variety of food acorns, 

 fruit, beech nuts, grain, seeds, worms, snails, insects, 

 frogs, mice, or even young pheasants, partridges and 

 eggs. 



The nest is built towards the middle of April. It is 

 not generally placed at any great height from the 

 ground. The usual situation is in the lower branches 

 of a holly or yew tree. In appearance it reminds one 

 of a very large Bullfinch's nest, being built of sticks 

 and twigs and lined with small roots. 



The Jay lays from five to seven eggs of a dusky 

 green colour, thickly freckled over the whole surface 

 with light olive-brown markings. 



CHOUGH. 



PYRRHOCORAX GRACULUS. 



Family PASSERIDJE. Sub-family CORVINE. Genus PYRRHO- 

 CORAX. 



Cornish Chough Red-legged Crow Cornish Daw Cliff 

 Daw Red Shanks. 



The Chough is fast becoming a very rare bird in our 

 islands, and from the inaccessible positions in which 

 its nest is placed, young collectors will be very unlikely 

 to secure its eggs themselves. The only places in 

 England where it is now likely to be met with are a 

 few spots on the coast of Wales, or of Cornwall and 



