136 
BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. 
to their palate. They often attack the eyes of dying 
animals, destroy weakly lambs, and, when pressed with 
hunger, will even pursue birds on the wing. They are 
notorious for the havoc which they occasion among 
game and poultry, and in rabbit-warrens, Avhere they 
kill and devour the young. When hens lay their eggs 
in hedge bottoms or tarm-yards. Crows are often 
caught in the act of devouring them ; but when they 
happen to be satiated, they will frequently hide their 
food till huncrer becomes more urgent. 
O o 
During the winter these birds consort with the 
Hooks and Hooded Crows, and sometimes intermingle 
with the latter, so as to give rise to a hybrid race. In 
this season, numerous flights of various species of 
the first genus assemble about our dwellings, keeping 
much on the ground, sauntering much about the flocks 
and shepherds, hovering near the tracks of the la- 
bourers, and sometimes hopping on the backs of pigs 
and sheep, with such apparent familiarity that they 
might be mistaken for domestic birds. At night they 
retire into the forests to lodge among the large trees, 
resorting to the general rendezvous from every quarter, 
sometimes from the distance of nine miles all around, 
whence they again sally out in the morning in quest 
of subsistence.* 
As they are exceedingly cunning, have an acute 
scent, and commonly fly in large flocks, it is difficult to 
get near them, and still more so to decoy them into 
snares. Many contrivances have been resorted to to 
destroy them ; the most innocuons as well as ludicrous 
in its effect is the following : — A piece of paper is 
* British Cyclopaedia. 
