374 RED-WINGED CROW. 



the bead, neck, and upper part of the breast are 

 greyish, with a black streak down the shaft of the 

 feathers. These birds are very common at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, flying in innumerable troops, 

 and frequenting gardens, orchards, and vineyards, 

 and committing great havock among the fruit. 

 The territory of Constantia is, according to Le- 

 vaillant, particularly infested by them: they as* 

 semble every evening about the rocks of that dis- 

 trict, where they build among the crevices, plac- 

 ing their nests near each other. Near the river 

 Gamtoo Monsr. Levaillant and his companions 

 took above a thousand of their eggs at once, and 

 found them excellent eating. The eggs are gene- 

 rally four or five, and sometimes six in number, 

 j^nd the major part of the females breed twice a 

 year, so that the vast multiplication of the birds 

 need not be wondered at. They are themselves a 

 very delicate food, more especially during the 

 fruit-season; and those which feed on grapes are 

 the most excellent of all. 



