DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE CARRION-CROW. 305 
during incubation, I left the house about 2.30 a.m., and got to 
the place whence I watch the nest in the fir-tree, or rather 
its site, about 8. It was too dark then for day-birds to be 
seriously active, though cocks were seriously crowing, as I 
walked down. I could not, however, see the time by my watch 
without striking a match. 
The first deep ‘“‘ quor’’ in the neighbourhood—it had a sleepy 
sound—was at 8.35. 
4.20.—One of the Crows flies into the tree and out of it, 
again, almost immediately. It only just entered the fronds by 
the nest, and I never quite lost sight of it. I am sure, there- 
fore, in this instance, that it was the same bird that came 
and went. 
4.21.—A moment afterwards the other bird—evidently the 
sitting one, who has been there all night—flies out of the tree,* 
and then both fly about from tree to tree in the neighbourhood 
of the nest, and are very noisy, answering one another. Up till 
now, except for the deep, single ‘‘ quor’’ I have noted, and one 
or two others-—single also and all unanswered—there had been 
deep silence. I notice now a very considerable difference in the 
character of the note, especially as uttered by one of the noisy 
birds. 
4.33.— Bird to the nest, alone and in silence. I stay till 
4,50, and then leave. 
May 30th.—Watched the nest between 11.30 and 12.80 this 
morning, but no bird either came or went. 
June 3rd.—A sad discovery this morning. The tall fir-tree 
where the pair of Crows I have been watching lately had built 
has been ascended and the nest flung down—unless, indeed, it 
has been blown out of the tree; this, perhaps, is possible. I 
incline, however, to the human hypothesis. I had thought the 
tree was unscaleable, which shows—if my view is correct—how 
little I know about it. A sad thing—and no neck broken! A 
little later I saw the poor birds circling rapidly about, close 
together. 
* Compare entry of April 18th. Here at daybreak there was an exactly 
similar visit and departure of the male, leaving the female still sitting. But 
she, too, only stayed a moment before following him off. 
