THE GREY CROW. 313 



menagerie at the Falls, where a novel experiment to get rid of 

 them was resorted to. Four young birds in a nest were pinioned, 

 in expectation that their parents would continue feeding them, 

 until affording an opportunity for their being shot or trapped. 

 Disappointment was however the result, as the old birds, on 

 returning to the nest, and perceiving the mutilated state of 

 their progeny, left them to perish. 



Two grey crows were once observed in pursuit of a full-grown 

 rabbit, in a large field, at Springvale (Down) . The chase was con- 

 tinued only whilst the rabbit ran : — when squatted, they never 

 attempted to molest it. The chase was continued for some time. 

 According to the testimony of several of the wild-fowl shooters 

 of Belfast bay, grey crows are not uncommonly seen in pursuit 

 of the smaller shore-birds ( Grallatores) ; and two of my informants 

 were witness to a couple of these crows pursuing a merlin 

 (Falco JEsalon), winch had captured a sandlark {Tringa vari- 

 abilis) until the prey was dropped by the hawk, when it was picked 

 up, and borne off by one of them from the surface of the water. 

 When these shooters kill great numbers of sandlarks at a shot, 

 with their punt or swivel- guns, the grey crows, which are always on 

 the beach, are sure to carry off several of the wounded in their 

 bills, before the men can reach the spot. The cries of the 

 poor sandlarks when thus seized, are described even by the fowlers 

 to be most piteous ; greatly more so, than when they lay hold of 

 them. A pet buzzard {Buteo vulgaris), kept at Fort William, was, 

 when flying about the demesne, always persecuted by grey crows. 



One of these birds was shot by a friend at Springvale, when it 

 had young, and on the evening of the same day, he saw about ten 

 grey crows come to feed the nestlings : they however died in the 

 course of the night, which was very cold and wet. When engaged 

 in the construction of their nest, they are more heedless of 

 enemies than at other times, and then occasionally fall victims to 

 the gun : but if one should be killed, the survivor is soon pro- 

 vided with another mate. At this early stage of the breeding- 

 season, as remarked at " the Falls," near Belfast, neither these 

 birds nor magpies, were mated again for three or four days. A 



