﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  109 
  

  

  is 
  to 
  go 
  against 
  the 
  findings 
  of 
  many 
  naturalists 
  of 
  high 
  

   repute. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  had 
  a 
  sufficiently 
  wide 
  

   field 
  of 
  observation 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  driven 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  

   the 
  Carrion-Crow 
  and 
  the 
  Hooded 
  Crow 
  are 
  one 
  and 
  the 
  

   same. 
  At 
  anyrate, 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  birds 
  frequenting 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  

   are 
  concerned, 
  there 
  certainly 
  are 
  not 
  two 
  species. 
  For 
  

   over 
  thirty 
  years 
  attention 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  this 
  problem, 
  

   in 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  studied 
  locally, 
  and 
  the 
  more 
  closely 
  

   these 
  two 
  varieties 
  of 
  Crow 
  have 
  been 
  watched, 
  the 
  more 
  

   convincing 
  is 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  distinct 
  species. 
  

   Along 
  the 
  rock-bonnd 
  coast 
  these 
  birds 
  nest 
  in 
  numbers, 
  

   and 
  a 
  black, 
  i.e., 
  Carrion-Crow, 
  mated 
  with 
  the 
  grey, 
  i.e., 
  

   Hooded 
  Crow, 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  common 
  an 
  occurrence 
  as 
  two 
  

   blacks 
  or 
  two 
  greys 
  nesting 
  together. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  progeny 
  

   of 
  this 
  black 
  and 
  grey 
  combination 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen, 
  one 
  half 
  

   of 
  them 
  grey, 
  the 
  other 
  black. 
  These 
  two 
  varieties 
  have 
  

   been 
  repeatedly 
  observed 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  line 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   wooded 
  inland 
  district. 
  These 
  considerations, 
  joined 
  with 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  habits 
  as 
  to 
  feeding 
  and 
  mode 
  of 
  life 
  are 
  

   identical 
  in 
  both 
  forms, 
  compel 
  me 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  

   as 
  "Dee" 
  and 
  the 
  north-east 
  of 
  Scotland 
  are 
  concerned, 
  the 
  

   two 
  varieties 
  form 
  but 
  one 
  species, 
  and 
  any 
  description 
  of 
  

   the 
  one 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  applicable 
  to 
  the 
  other, 
  except 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  

   as 
  colour 
  is 
  concerned. 
  

  

  Corvus 
  frugilegus, 
  Linn. 
  Rook. 
  "Craw." 
  

  

  Resident 
  throughout 
  the 
  year, 
  breeding 
  in 
  immense 
  

   colonies 
  over 
  a 
  large 
  extent 
  of 
  " 
  Dee." 
  Perhaps 
  few 
  of 
  our 
  

   local 
  birds 
  have 
  been 
  subjected 
  to 
  more 
  cruel 
  persecution 
  

   than 
  the 
  Rook. 
  Societies 
  have 
  been 
  formed 
  whose 
  sole 
  object 
  

   was 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  this 
  bird, 
  and 
  the 
  numbers 
  slaughtered 
  

   under 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  such 
  associations 
  at 
  the 
  annual 
  breed- 
  

   ing 
  season 
  have 
  been 
  heralded 
  through 
  the 
  public 
  prints, 
  and 
  

   as 
  graphically 
  described 
  as 
  if 
  some 
  mighty 
  battle 
  had 
  been 
  

   won, 
  the 
  vanquished 
  having 
  offered 
  a 
  stubborn 
  and 
  valiant 
  

   resistance, 
  and 
  only 
  having 
  been 
  overpowered 
  through 
  the 
  

   immense 
  numbers 
  of 
  their 
  opponents 
  ! 
  Even 
  local 
  doggerel 
  

   rhymesters 
  have 
  raised 
  their 
  voices 
  in 
  commendation 
  of 
  the 
  

   deeds 
  of 
  these 
  rook-destroying 
  associations, 
  which 
  were 
  chiefly 
  

   composed 
  of 
  farmers 
  who 
  believed 
  that 
  their 
  crops 
  were 
  

  

  H 
  

  

  