498 Mr. C. Collier on the Birds 



Chough. Pyrrhocoram graculus. 



Very scarce. Five Choughs were on the rocks by the sea- 

 shore to the west of the island on January 3rd, 1898. On 

 January 5th of that year three Choughs were seen in the same 

 locality ; these were the only instances of their occurrence 

 noticed. Afterwards I was informed that a very small 

 colony breeds yearly in some precipitous cliffs a few miles 

 away in the Isle of Skye. No doubt the birds seen were 

 from this colony. 



Jackdaw. Corvus monedula. 



A few nest on the high cliffs on the east side, but are 

 much harried by a pair of Peregrines. Greatly increased 

 numbers are to be seen in the autumn and consort with 

 Hocks of Rooks. 



Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone. 



Two were trapped by a keeper in the autumn of 1897 ; I 

 have no other record. 



Hooded Crow. Corvus comix. 



Very common during the nesting-season. Quantities of 

 migrants also arrive in September and remain throughout 

 the winter. On one occasion two keepers and I saw forty- 

 five of these birds in one flock. 



Rook. Corvus frugilegus . 



A large rookery formerly existed on the island, but it was 

 done away with between the years 1890 and 190.2 on account 

 of the harm the birds did by sucking the eggs of Grouse, &c. 

 From 1895, old and young arrived about the end of June, 

 and a colony of about two hundred remained through the 

 winter, roosting in a very thick spruce-wood. If the weather 

 remained fine for any length of time, they changed their 

 sleeping-quarters to some bare rocks by the sea. 



Raven. Corvus cor ax. 



Three pairs nest annually in quite inaccessible places. 

 Additional numbers arrive in September, roosting on some 

 very high precipitous cliffs, where I have counted thirty-two 

 on the wing at the same time. 



