Practical Game-Preserving. 37 2 



Crows. 



In outward appearance the often termed Carrion Crow 

 is neither more nor less than a miniature raven, while there 

 is also so little by which to distinguish it from the rook 

 that the two are often confounded, the only actual differ- 

 ence besides ' l look ' ' being the bleached beak and the 

 bare skin upon the rook's face. The latter, however, is 

 decidedly gregarious, while the crow prefers to remain in 

 small parties of a single pair to five or six. The crow, 

 too, is comparatively strong in numbers, and must be well 

 able to take care of itself, seeing the persecution it receives 

 from both the gamekeeper and the farmer. With some 

 little observation it will be noticed that, although it has a 

 penchant for semi-solitary existence, it is much inclined to 

 assemble with others in the morning and at evening, and 

 further, that these birds have a certain daily routine, 

 more or less closely followed ; particularly is this notice- 

 able in their choice of resting-place and manner of going 

 to roost. The former is generally chosen after some 

 seeming deliberation, and when one or two have found the 

 situation safe, the rest drop in gently, one, two, or three at 

 a time. 



About the month of March the young crows commence 

 to pair off, and as soon as mated the construction of the 

 nest is begun, and is slowly brought to completion by the 

 united efforts of both birds. Though large, it is by no 

 means compact, and is invariably placed at not on the 

 fork (not always the main one) of a large tree. Some- 

 times it is on the topmost boughs of a high swinging Scotch 

 fir ; at others, as near the extremity of the middle branch 

 of an overhanging oak as comfort and safety will allow. 



The food of the crow is of such varied nature, and 

 extends to objects so vastly different, according to locality, 

 that very erroneous opinions are sometimes formed as to 



