DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE CARRION-CROW. 329 
been driven out) whilst I sat under a tree near, evidently only 
deterred from re-entering the plantation by my presence. I now 
sheltered myself very effectually beneath a hazel-bush at the foot 
of a tall tree, and before long the two Crows appeared, both carry- 
ing sticks, and the mystery was soon explained by their flying into 
the summit of a lofty fir quite near me, and busying themselves 
with the construction of their nest—as I could make out, but 
not the nest itself, owing to the opacity of the foliage forming 
the fir’s crown. Building now went on continuously, at irregular 
intervals, for more than an hour up to 6 o’clock, when there was 
a longer interval; but as I walked back I again saw the two 
birds, from a distance, come down together into the same tree. 
Both birds built, one being generally there at a time, but, two or 
three times, both were in the tree, and I think both building, 
together. Had this tree been as the others, I should have had 
a fine view of their operations, being so near and so well con- 
cealed, but the nest, besides being high up, is completely 
shrouded amidst the heavy pine-fronds. This time, however, I 
often saw the Crows collecting their materials, and it was never 
on the ground that they did this, but always in trees, the 
srowing twigs of which they seized in their bills and broke off, 
often having to pull and tug at them with great force to do so. 
They often dropped the twig they pulled off, and did not then 
pick it up from the ground again, but began pulling at another, 
and once one of them dropped the one he was flying with, and 
left it. Whether this was done, each time, accidentally or pur- 
posely, I could not be sure. I think the first, but still they 
seemed to pick out particular twigs, and to prefer such as were 
both long and stout. It might be argued, too, that they would 
have picked them up again had they not intended to discard 
them. The Crows never went to the Magpie’s nest, and had 
evidently no design upon it, as, indeed, it is hardly to be sup- 
posed that they should have had, taking the strength and 
vigilance of the foe into consideration. Also the twigs of any 
nest would not have been selected, and pulled by themselves ; 
that they should be thus pulled and not merely collected, as 
sticks, from the ground, seemed to be a sine qua non with the 
birds. The nest, however, was, no doubt, the teterrima causa 
belli—att least on one side—the Crows coming too near to it in 
