THE BIRDS OP BRECONSHIRE. 47 



pied or parti-coloured Rook, and that was a bird with whitish 

 wings. 



Chough, Pyrrhocorax graculus. — Although it occurs sparingly 

 amongst the rocky cliffs of the Glamorganshire coast, I am unable 

 to include it amongst the birds of this county. 



Jackdaw, Corvus monedida, — Very common indeed, particularly 

 about the tower of the grand old priory church of Brecon. Some- 

 time since I saw a curious specimen of a white Jackdaw ; the 

 plumage of this bird was not only pure white, but its legs, claws, 

 and eyes were white. I think among the Crow family an albino 

 is veiy rarely seen. 



Jay, Garrulus glandarius. — Very common in all our woods ; in 

 the hard weather of last winter the poor Jays were put to great 

 straits and came into the town gardens for food. One was caught 

 feeding with my poultry in one of the aviaries, where it must 

 have pushed itself between the wires to get at the food. For a 

 shy bird like the Jay this was somewhat singular. 



Magpie, Pica ccmdata. — Very common, and, like the Raven, 

 considered to be a bird of ill omen. Indeed I know of no 

 bird that is more generally noticed in this respect, and the 

 old adage, — "One, sorrow; two, mirth ; three, a wedding; four, 

 a birth," — seems implicitly believed in by many of the country 

 people. 



Nutcracker, Nucifraga caryocatactes. — I have seen but one 

 stuffed specimen in Wales, and that was a bird in perfect plumage, 

 which was killed many years since in the adjoining county of 

 Glamorgan. 



Starling, Sturnus vulgaris. — Although this bird breeds here 

 pretty plentifully, yet the number that roost in the reed-beds of 

 Llangorse Lake during the autumn must come from other parts. 

 If you are on the lake about four o'clock in the afternoon you will 

 see flock after flock flying over and pitching in the reeds, and 

 this continues until they are all come ; then with a roar — and no 

 other word expresses it — the whole flock rises in one living mass, 

 sweeping over the lake close to the reeds in a black moving cloud ; 

 then threatening to settle again, then up and round once more, 

 with a regularity and precision of movement that is beautiful and 

 wonderful to witness, until at length, their drill being over, they 

 finally pitch and roost for the night. Their numbers on these 

 occasions must be in thousands, and during the time they are 



