CORVINE. CORVUS. PICA. 107 
or dead fish. It is easily tamed, and may be taught to imi- 
tate various sounds. The young are esteemed good eating, 
and about the time of leaving the nest afford a barbarous 
sport to urban as well as rustic shooters. They are fed chiefly 
, with grubs, worms, and seeds, which are conveyed in quantity 
by their parents in a kind of sac at the base of the tongue. In 
some rookeries both young and old fly off in June, while in 
others they remain all the year. In the former case, they 
generally return for some days in autumn, and again absent 
[ themselves until spring. 
Corvus frugilegus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 156. — Corvus frugile- 
gus, Temm. Man. d’Ornith, i. 110. — Corvus frugilegus, Look, 
MacGiliivray, Brit. Birds, i. 535. 
i 
52. Corvus Monedula. Grey-necked Crow, or Jackdaw. 
Bill rather shorter than the head, somewhat conical ; plu- 
mage greyish-black, the hind neck light grey, the head ante- 
! riorly glossed wfith blue, the primary quills, alula, and tail 
with green, the secondary quills with purple. The young 
when fledged are of the same colours as the adult, the grey 
I of the neck a little less pure, and the feathers in general not 
1 so glossy. 
I Male, 14J, 30, 10, IJ, 1^^, 1/^, yV- Female, 14, 28. 
More active and lively, with a clearer and shriller voice than 
the other species. Generally dispersed, inhabiting deserted 
buildings, steeples, towers, and high rocks, and breeding in 
these places, or in rabbit burrows. The eggs, from four to 
seven, an inch and five-twelfths long, an inch in breadth, 
bluish-white, with small, round, separated spots of dark 
brown and pale purplish. Although vigilant and suspicious, it 
often resides in towns, and picks up part of its food from the 
streets. It feeds on larvse, worms, insects, seeds, and other 
matters. Like the other species, it is easily tamed, may be 
taught to speak, and has a propensity to carry away and con- 
ceal glittering articles. 
Daw. Kae. 
Corvus Monedula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 156. — Corvus Mone- 
dula, Temm. Man. d^Ornith. i. 111. — Corvus Monedula, Jack- 
daw, MacGiliivray, Brit. Birds, i. 552. 
GENUS XXIX. PICA. MAGPIE. 
Bill about the length of the head, stout, straight, taper- 
ing, compressed toward the end ; upper mandible with the 
