308 corvid^e. 



In the 1st volume of Tracts printed for the Irish Archaeo- 

 logical Society, it is remarked, in ' A Brife description of Ireland, 

 made in this yeere 1589, by Robert Payne/ that, — "There is not 

 that place in Ireland where anye venomous thinge will liue. There 

 is neither mol, pye, nor carren crow." In a note to this, Dr. 

 Aquilla Smith of Dublin, who edited the memoir, observed : — " Of 

 the carren or carrion crow (Corvus cor one), we have not any 

 authority as to the date of its introduction into Ireland. Moryson 

 [in 1617] says, we have not the blacke crow, but onely crowes of 

 mingled colour, such as wee call Royston crows," part iii. b. 3. 

 p. 160. Although the attractive magpie may have been intro- 

 duced to this country, I cannot think that the carrion crow ever 

 was, but believe it to be strictly indigenous. Its comparative 

 scarcity in this island, and not being commonly distinguished 

 from its equally sable congener the rook, may account for its 

 having been overlooked, 



This species was included by Smith, as one of the birds of the 

 county of Cork ; but that it was not well known in Ireland, is 

 sufficiently indicated by the absence of its name from Mr. Tem- 

 pleton's published catalogue of the native vertebrate animals. 

 That eminent naturalist has remarked in his MS. — " I have not 

 seen this bird, but from what I have heard, am inclined to think 

 it is found about Dundalk." About the river Lagan, within the 

 flow of the tide, and along the shores of Belfast bay, this crow is 

 sometimes met with, and feeds upon any animal matter cast up 

 by the waves, but more especially on the carcasses of horses, 

 which after being skinned, are left upon the beach. The refuse of 

 the slaughter-house, when spread on meadows for manure, parti- 

 cularly attracts it inland. 



The carrion crow is known to me, as found in the north, east, 

 and west of the island : in the south, as already mentioned, it is 

 noticed by Smith, but was never seen by Mr. R. Ball during his 

 residence at Youghal ; nor by the Rev. Joseph Stopford, who has 

 given much attention to the birds of the county of Cork. The 

 species is well known to this gentleman, from his having often shot 

 it in England. About Clonmel, however, Mr. R. Davis, junr., 



