298 couviDiE. 



THE CHOUGH. 



Cornish Chough. Red-legged Jackdaw * or Crow. 



Fregilus graculus, Linn, (sp.) 

 Corvus „ „ 



Inhabits precipitous rocks in various parts of Ireland. 



It is noticed in Harris's Down (1744), and Smith's Cork (1749), 

 as one of the birds of those counties, and in the latter is said to 

 be " very common, frequenting rocks, old castles, and ruins upon 

 the sea-coast." The species is more generally diffused around 

 the rock -bound shores of Ireland, than British authors would lead 

 us to believe it is on those of Scotland and England* It may be 

 met with in such localities in the north, east, south, and west of 

 the island. 



The basaltic precipices of the north-east are admirably adapted 

 to choughs, and about the promontory of Eairhead these birds 

 particularly abound. On one occasion, when visiting tins place and 

 the head-lands in the immediate vicinity of the Giant's Causeway, 

 on the same day (8th of June), during the breeding-season of 

 these birds, I remarked choughs only about the former locality, 

 and jackdaws only about the latter, both species being numerous 

 in their respective quarters : the choughs, too, were wonderfully 

 tame in this instance, permitting our approach within twenty-five 

 paces.t About Horn-Head, in the north-west of the county of 



* Red-legged jackdaw of the north of Ireland ; cliff-daw of Kerry. Smith states 

 in his History of Cork, that the Irish name for this bird implies a Spanish jackdaw. 



f In Dr. J. D. Marshall's memoir, on the statistics and natural history of the basaltic 

 island of Rathlin (lyi»g off the north of the county of Antrim), it js remarked of the 

 chough : — " This is called by the islanders, the jackdaw, and is by far the most 

 numerous species on the island. In the mouth of July, I found them everywhere 

 associated in large flocks, atone place frequenting inland situations, and at another 

 congregated on the sea-shore. They had just collected together their different families, 

 now fully fledged, aud were picking up their food (which consisted chiefly of insects), 

 either on the shore, in the crevices of rocks, or in the pasture fields. Mr. Selby men- 

 tions that the chough will not alight on the turf, if it can possibly avoid it, always 

 preferring gravel, stones, or walls. In Rathlin, its choice of situation seems to be 

 but sparingly exhibited, as I found it frequenting the corn aud pasture fields, in even 

 greater numbers than along the shores. * * * They breed on the lofty cliffs 

 overhanging the sea ; the eggs are of a whitish colour, speckled at the larger end 



