52 1 



Jordan valley and in Eastern Palestine its place appears to be taken by the closely affined or 

 climatic variety C. collaris of Drummond, with which we frequently met." Lord Lilford informs 

 me that he found a colony of Jackdaws breeding in the walls of Famagousta, Cyprus, April 22nd, 

 1875 ; but it was not observed elsewhere in the island. 



In North-east Africa it appears to be a rare species. Riippell certainly states that it is 

 common in Lower Egypt and Arabia Petrsea ; but Von Heuglin remarks that he believes that it 

 is only an accidental straggler, if found there at all ; and Captain Shelley informs me that he 

 never met with it in Egypt. It is, however, found in North-west Africa : Loche records it from 

 Algeria; and Canon Tristram states (Ibis, 1859, p. 292) that it is " extremely abundant wherever 

 there are rocky gorges near an oasis." Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt-Drake observed large flocks of the 

 present species, though only at Tetuan ; but Colonel Irby states (I. c.) that neither he nor Favier 

 ever met with it in Tangier. According to Dr. C. Bolle it occasionally visits the Canaries ; and 

 he says (J. f. O. 1854, p. 451) that, in February 1830, after a heavy south-east wind, several were 

 killed at Laguna. 



To the eastward the European Jackdaw is found at least as far as the Punjab, in India ; but, 

 so far as I can judge from the materials I have at hand, I should consider the species of Black 

 Jackdaw inhabiting Eastern Asia specifically distinct from our European bird. This bird, Corvus 

 neglectus, Schl. (Notice sur le genre Corvus, p. 16), appears never to have, in any plumage, 

 the grey nape so characteristic of our bird ; and Mr. Swinhoe informs me that he certainly 

 considers it to be distinct. It agrees tolerably well with the description of Corvus spermologus, 

 Vieill. (I. c.) ; but the latter, being from the south of France, cannot be the same species, but 

 must be a dark-necked form of our common European Jackdaw. Corvus neglectus differs in 

 lacking the grey neck altogether, the entire upper parts being glossy black, and the underparts 

 dull greyish black; and it is smaller than our bird, measuring — culmen 1-05, wing 8 - 65, tail 5-2, 

 tarsus 1-65. Mr. Swinhoe informs me that Corvus neglectus interbreeds not unfrequently with 

 the other species of East- Asiatic Jackdaw (Corvus dauricus) ; and I have had an opportunity of 

 examining several hybrids in Mr. Swinhoe's collection. 



To return, however, to our common European species, I find that neither Mr. Blanford nor 

 Major St. John met with it Persia. The latter says that, if found there at all, it must be in 

 the extreme north-west ; in the highlands of Armenia (across the frontier) and in the Caucasus 

 it is common. De Filippi speaks of it as common in the Caucasus and Armenia, and " rarer in 

 Persia." Dr. Henderson writes (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 239) that he found it " very common 

 almost everywhere in Cashmere, where it lives in the villages, and makes its nest under the eaves 

 of the houses and in old buildings." Dr. Jerdon speaks of it (B. of Ind. ii. p. 303) as being 

 " tolerably abundant in Cashmere and in the Punjab, in the latter country in the cold weather 

 only." Dr. Severtzoff states that it is resident and common throughout Turkestan ; but I find it 

 impossible to trace its range further east, or to ascertain where the range of Corvus neglectus 

 begins. 



Exceedingly active, noisy, and cheerful, the Jackdaw differs from the Raven and the Crow 

 markedly, and is much pleasanter and less staid and solemn-looking than either of those 

 species. Essentially gregarious, it either seeks the company of others of its own species or will 

 associate with Rooks for the sake of society ; and one not unfrequently finds Jackdaws living 



