BIRDS OF LLEYN, WEST CARNARVONSHIRE. 499 



I saw Carrion-Crows on " The Kivals," and about Pwllheli 

 Harbour. A pair, much agitated for the safety of a young one 

 which could barely fly, on the seaward face of Mynydd Mawr, 

 afforded a study in geographical distribution ; for, unless the 

 eyesight of those Crows was inferior to my own (which is not 

 likely), they could look out that day on a land which is not in- 

 habited by their race. On that bright clear afternoon, across the 

 blue channel, we could just catch sight of the Wicklow moun- 

 tains ; and, although the Carrion-Crow is recorded as breeding 

 sparingly in some parts of the sister island, this particular bit of 

 Ireland is, I believe, not one of them. And to this day the 

 words of Giraldus Cambrensis, written in the twelfth century, 

 hold good of Ireland : " Also there are no black Crows in this 

 country, or they are very rare ; they are all parti-coloured." The 

 Hooded Crow is, I believe, uncommon on the Welsh coast, even 

 in winter ; but I have seen a hybrid between the two forms, which 

 was killed in Merionethshire. A pair of Kavens were wheeling 

 about the tops of " The Rivals," uttering a few " corps," and I 

 saw another pair round one of the headlands. A pair is also said 

 to swell the list of birds breeding on the stupendous cliffs of Pen 

 Cilan. The Jackdaw is one of the most noticeable birds in this 

 part of Wales. It breeds abundantly in the cliffs, as well as about 

 buildings, and in the villages may be seen sitting on the houses 

 and chapels. A pair were breeding in a chimney, for bits of 

 nesting material were sticking out of an ordinary chimney-pot, on 

 which a Daw was perched, and the cries of the young came from 

 within. The Rook was in fair numbers. A little flock feeding 

 on the upper slopes of " The Rivals," and wishing to descend to 

 the lower grounds, flew out from the mountain side until they 

 had a clear drop below them, and then suddenly whizzed down 

 with short zigzag flights, making a rushing sound like a rocket. 



Ring-Doves did not seem to be abundant. Stock-Doves are 

 to be found round the coast, about tbe cliffs and sand-hills. 

 Neither Mr. Coward nor I met with the Turtle-Dove. The Swift 

 is numerous. Numbers were wheeling round Trer Ceiri, or one 

 of the summits of Yr Eifl. Possibly they breed among the mass 

 of grey rock forming the steep ramparts on the east side. I saw 

 them nowhere on the mountain, except just over the ancient town. 

 One afternoon some hundreds were flying over the craggy heights 



