268 Birds. 
The croaking of the Raven was formerly considered a 
note of ill omen : 
"The Eaven croaked as she sat at her meal, 
And the old woman knew what he said ; 
And she grew pule at the Raven's tale, 
And sickened and went to her bed." 
THE CARRION CROW. (Corvus corone.) 
This bird is less in size than the raven. The bill is 
strong, thick, and straight. The general colour is black, 
except the extremities of the feathers, which are of a 
greyish tint. His delight is to feed upon carcasses and 
dead animals, or malefactors exposed on the gibbet. 
He roosts upon trees, and takes both animal and vege- 
table food. Crows, like rooks, are gregarious, and often 
fly in large companies in the fields or in the woods. 
On the upland moors, Crows occupy the place which 
rooks fill in the low country ; and as the Crow has a 
very coarse and uncouth voice, the Lowlanders of Scot- 
land are in the habit of saying that the Highland rooks 
" speak Gaelic." They are great destroyers of partridges' 
eggs, as they often pierce them with their bills, and 
carry them in that manner through the air to a great 
distance to feed their young. The female lays five or 
six eggs. 
Mr. Montagu states that he once saw a Crow in pur- 
suit of a pigeon, at which it made several pounces, like 
