t>2 
bourhood had a pair sent him as a present 
from Cornwall, which escaped, and stocked 
these rocks. They sometimes desert the 
place for a week or ten days at a time, and 
repeat it several times in a year." 
The female builds her nest in the most 
inaccessible cliffs, and in ruined towers. 
It is composed of sticks, and lined with a 
great quantity of wool and hair. The 
eggs are generally five in number, of a 
dull white, sprinkled with light brown and 
ash-coloured spots, most numerous at the 
larger end. 
It is a very tender bird, of an elegant 
form, and unable to bear severe weather. 
Like the Jackdaw, it is active, restless, and 
meddling; it feeds on insects, of which 
the grass-hopper appears to be a dainty, 
and the fern-chaffer another favourite 
morsel. These it swallows whole; but if 
the great-chaffer be given to it, the bird 
places it under one foot, pulls it to pieces, 
and eats it piece-meal. It likewise ap- 
pears to be fond of hemp seed and juniper 
berries. 
These birds frequently fly very high* 
