Birds. 



6665 



what deep significance is this peculiar form of beak. The whole ali- 

 mentary canal undergoes an adapted change, and the mode of nutri- 

 tion materially differs from that of other Columbadae. The white- 

 belly {Peristera Jamaicensis) feeds greedily on the fallen seeds of 

 Laurus, which its powerful gizzard reduces to pulp ; while the ring- 

 tail digests the soft seed-vessel only. The influence of these two 

 species on the vegetation around them differs still more widely. 

 While the white-belly destroys hundreds of the plants on which it 

 feeds, the ring-tail scatters them abundantly over the forests it fre- 

 quents. I must reserve some further notes on this bird for a future 

 occasion. 



" W. Osburn. 



"To P. H. Gosse, Esq." 



A List of the Birds of Banffshire, accompanied, with Anecdotes. 

 By Thomas Edward. 



(Continued from page (>fi37.) 



Carrion and Hooded Crows (continued). The eyes of dead ani- 

 mals, perhaps living ones too, seem to be a very favourite morsel 

 with them ; for if one is cast ashore, or met with elsewhere, those 

 organs are always sure to disappear first. And if a fish should be 

 stranded (the larger the better), oh ! what a glorious prize it is ! — 

 what a treat ! — how they seem to revel in it ! Like many others, 

 however, in a higher grade of society, they can't always keep all the 

 good things of this life to themselves; for the gulls generally come in 

 and claim a share, if not the whole; and here too, as in higher life, 

 many are the disputes and tough battles they have in consequence. 

 Besides all these, I have seen them attack other game. Whilst 

 walking one morning along the Doveran, with a friend, and just as 

 we arrived at the mansion-house of Eden, our attention was attracted 

 to the other side of the water, by what seemed to us to be the faint 

 cries of a child in distress. On looking in the direction we beheld 

 two crows (whether hooded or carrion crows we could not tell from 

 the distance) pursuing and tormenting a hare, by every now and then 

 pouncing down upon it. Each blow seemed, as far as we could 

 judge, to be aimed at or about the head; and each time that one was 

 given the poor animal screamed piteously. These blows had the 

 effect of stupifying the creature, so much so that she would whirl round 

 and round for several minutes like a top. At other times, again, they 

 XVII. 2 z 



