236 Corvidce. 



yearly becoming more and more rare. I have not personally 

 seen it on our downs for several years past, but one record I had 

 of its appearance in my own neighbourhood from my lamented 

 friend, the late Rev. C. Bradford, Vicar of Clyffe Pypard, who 

 saw one at intervals during a month in January, 1877, in the 

 pond meadow, near the Manor House in that parish ; and for 

 the last four years, as I learn from the present vicar, the Rev. E. 

 Goddard, it has returned to Clyffe regularly every November, 

 spent the winter there, and departed in March. For the first 

 three winters it was alone, but last year it brought back three 

 companions ; this year (1887) it is again alone. It does not 

 fraternize much with the Carrion Crows, which are very numerous 

 at Clyffe, but associates rather with the rooks, which, however, 

 do not seem to desire its company, so that it is somewhat of an 

 outcast ; but as nobody molests it, and it likes its winter quarters, 

 it returns every year. Mr. Hussey Freke reports that his keeper 

 shot one at Crouch Wood, near Hannington Hall, and Mr. W. 

 Wyndham that his brother killed one at Sutton Mandeville. I 

 also learn that it is generally to be seen in winter at Everley. 

 The Rev. J. D. Hodgson tells me it used to frequent the neigh- 

 bourhood of CoUingbourne, and some are occasionally seen now 

 on a down near CoUingbourne Wood. The Rev. W. H. Awdry 

 sometimes sees them at Ludgershall ; and Mr. W. H. Fowle, 

 about two years ago, almost invariably used to see a small flock 

 of them at a pond on the Upavon Downs, when riding from 

 Chute Forest to a farm he had in hand at Charlton. Mr. Grant, 

 too, at Devizes, has from time to time received a specimen for 

 preservation. Its true habitat is Northern Europe, where it may 

 be seen in great abundance, for it is the representative of the 

 Corvidse there, and very tame and familiar it is there, searching 

 the newly mown meadows for worms and slugs, and marching 

 on the roads in front of our horses, just as its congener the rook 

 does here. In Egypt it may be noticed as bold and self-asserting 

 as in its northern home, bullying great Kites and Hawks, and 

 robbing them of their prey, and driving away the huge Griffon 

 and Cinereous Vulture, from the carrion they had appropriated. 



