GREY CROW. 149 



appear to warrant that opinion. For, whereas our present 

 subject does not appear there till October^ departing in 

 March, I have never known any accession to, or diminution 

 of, the numbers of the Black Crow at either period. The 

 latter birds, too, pair inter se, in March, yet I have never 

 known them to do so in Sussex with the Grey Crow, a 

 circumstance which, had it occurred, would surely have been 

 noticed by some one. Why, if they are of the same species, 

 does the Grey Crow always leave us to a bird, and the Black 

 Crow breed here ? It is equally persecuted wherever it goes, 

 being welcomed with strychnine in a piece of carrion, or in 

 an egg, placed for it in all directions, whether in England, 

 Scotland, or Ireland, no bird being more destructive to the 

 eggs or brood of any game, especially of Grouse. Surely the 

 circumstance of their breeding together in the northern 

 counties can be no proof of their being the same species. 

 On the 4th of January, 1841, I witnessed an interesting 

 chase of, I believe, a Common Bunting, by one of these birds 

 whose manoeuvres in the pursuit were perfectly marvellous, 

 as it followed every twist and turn of its intended victim, 

 and this continued as long as they were in sight. As the 

 Bunting was evidently growing fatigued, I have little doubt 

 that the Crow succeeded in capturing it. Mr. Booth, in his 

 ' Rough Notes,^ states that he has seen this Crow pursuing 

 birds, which appeared fatigued by a heavy gale, far out to 

 sea, and over it they will often hover, and drop upon any 

 floating garbage they can discover. AU along the coast it 

 may be found during its short visit, feeding about the roads 

 and the manure heaps, and the more filthy its food the more 

 it seems to enjoy it. 



Inland, it is seldom met with, though I have now and then 

 seen one some eight or ten ndles from the coast. It retires 

 at night to the plantations on the Downs, those about 

 Brighton, for the most part, roosting in the beech woods in 



