9572 Birds. 



as usual, looliing neither to the right nor to the left. Then the raven, 

 making a short circuit, again assailed him from above, and, passing 

 over his head, was about to alight deliberately upon the wall, when 

 the dog, making a mighty bound forwards, seized his enemy by the 

 wing, and tore him literally to shreds. 



Henry L. Saxby. ^ 



Baltasound, Shetland, February 2S, 1865. 



Ornithological 'Notes from Lanarkshire. 

 By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 



(Continued from page 9442.) 



Rook. — Rooks have now eggs ; these vary much both in form and 

 colour. 1 have one in luy collection which is hardly larger than a 

 song thrush's, and nearly oval in shape ; others, again, are much 

 elongated and pointed. A curious emigration of this species took 

 place here a few years ago. A colony had seceded from the old 

 rookery, and established themselves on some trees which were over- 

 looked by a high bank ; here they remained for a year or two, but one 

 spring they were much persecuted by boys throwing stones into the 

 nests from the bank above, and in one day the whole of the colonists 

 deserted their nests (although many of them had nests), and. went over 

 in a body to a wood at Douglas Castle, six or seven miles distant, 

 where they founded a new settlement, and have remained ever since. 

 Here, as throughout Scotland, the rook is popularly known as the 

 "crow," or " craw," the carrion crow being called the " huidy craw," 

 while the true hooded or gray crow is almost unknown. The raven 

 was formerly found in our hills, but seems now to be quite extinct. 

 Perhaps I may be allowed to suggest that your contributors of " Or- 

 nithological Notes" should mention the local names of the various 

 species, a subject of some interest, and one which has been much 

 neglected in this country. 



Jackdaw. — We have a good many of these quaint and self-satisfied 

 birds; some build in deserted rooks' nests, others in hollow trees, 

 whilst others, I am almost certain, build for themselves. The males 

 of this and the preceding species feed their mates at this season by 

 regurgitating the food from their crops. The jackdaw is rather a pug- 

 nacious bird at all times, but in the building season a convenient hole 

 in a tree is sure to set two or three pairs at loggerheads. I was much 



