190 C0RV1D/E. 



IXSESSORES. CORVIDjE. 



CONIROSTRES. 



PLATE CXXV. 



CARRION CROW. 



CoRVUS CORONE. 



The Carrion Crow is an inhabitant of many countries, 

 including the warm and temperate parts of Europe, the 

 north of Africa, and many parts of Asia and America. In 

 Europe its range does not extend so far towards the north 

 as that of the raven, but it is considered more numerous 

 southward than that species ; thus keeping up the perfect 

 balance that is everywhere to be observed in Nature, in 

 whose dominions nothing is wanting, nothing superfluous. 



Sweden and Denmark are considered to be the northern 

 limit of this bird in Europe, and in those countries even 

 they are not very numerous. In our temperate climate the 

 Carrion Crow, if nowhere very plentiful, is yet generally 

 dispersed. These birds inhabit chiefly woods, from whence 

 they visit daily the fields and pastures around. Like the 

 raven, they possess very acute organs of sight and smell, by 

 which they are enabled to detect at a great distance their 

 often disgusting food. But although ranked among the 

 scavengers of nature, in which capacity they doubtless per- 

 form a prominent part, these birds are far from confining 

 themselves to dead and putrid food, but are popularly and 

 perhaps not unjustly considered among shepherds, game- 

 keepers, and the guardians of the farm-yard as objects of 



