Crass II. RED LEGGED. 
Egypt it affets mountanous and rocky fituations ; 
and builds its neft in high cliffs, or ruined towers, 
and lays four or five eggs, white fpotted witha 
dirty yellow. It feeds on infeéts, and alfo on new 
fown corn: they commonly fly high, make a 
fhriller noife than the jackdaw, and may be taught 
to fpeak. It is a very tender bird, and unable to 
bear very fevere weather ; is of an elegant, flender 
make ; active, reftlefs, and thieving; much tak- 
en with glitter, and fo meddling as not to be 
trufted where things of confequence lie. It is very 
apt to catch up bits of lighted fticks; fo that there 
are inftances of houfes being fet on fire by its 
means; which is the reafon that Camden calls it 
incendiaria avis. Several of the Wel and Cor- 
nifo families bear this bird in their coat of arms. 
It is found in Cornwall, Flintfbire, Caernarvonfbire, 
and Anglefea, in the cliffs and caftles along the 
fhores; and in different parts of Scotland as far 
as Straithnavern; and in fome of the Hebrides. 
They are alfo found in {mall numbers on Dover 
cliff, where they came by accident: A gentleman 
in that neighborhood had a pair fent as a prefent 
from Cornwall, which efcaped, and ftocked thofe 
rocks. They fometimes defert the place fora week 
or ten days at a time, and repeat it feveral times in 
the year. : 
Its weight is thirteen ounces: the breadth thir- 
ty-three inches: the length fixteen : its color is 
wholly black, beautifully gloffed over with blue 
and 
A 
229 
DeEscrip, 
