218 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



meadows are especially affected by this species ; and 

 it is curious to observe the way in which they seek 

 for and make use of a large stone upon which to let 

 fall the mussels, whose shells, one would imagine, 

 they could easily break by simply fixing and pecking 

 at them. Nothing in the shape of animal food seems 

 to come amiss to the Crow, and their partiality for 

 eggs is only too well known to our gamekeepers and 

 others. We have often seen one of these birds 

 fairly driven away by a pair of Peewits from the 

 vicinity of their nest. As far as we could make out, 

 both birds repeatedly struck the robber with their 

 wings. We also once witnessed a fight between a 

 Carrion-Crow and a pair of Partridges, which no 

 doubt had a brood of young in the long meadow- 

 grass close at hand ; how the battle would have gone 

 we cannot say, for we put an end to it by shooting 

 the Crow, We have twice seen a Carrion-Crow 

 catch a Sky-Lark on the wing and carry it off ; but 

 these Larks were both in a weak state from protracted 

 frost. The Carrion-Crow is common in many parts 

 of Europe, especially so, according to our own obser- 

 vation, in the valley of the Rhine above Cologne. 

 In Spain it is not very abundant, but we have met 

 with it in all parts of that country. 



96. GREY CROW. 



Corvus comix. 



In all respects, except those of plumage and voice, 

 this bird exactly resembles the common Black or 

 Carrion-Crow ; but with us in Northamptonshire it is 

 an autumnal migrant, generally putting in an appear- 

 ance during the first or second week of October and 



