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 Another Random Document on
Scribd Without Any Related Topics
Pheasants’ eggs, though we doubt whether his depredations are
sufficiently great to warrant his wholesale slaughter. The fox has been
saved from extermination in the interests of hunting, and it is now
conceded that, after all, his presence does not so greatly affect the
interests of those whose sport lies with the gun rather than with the
horse, and if only keepers could be taught to leave the Jay alone the
loss of a few head of game, that would hardly be missed, would
surely be more than compensated for by the sight of this beautiful
species as he dodges through the wood in front of the beaters. No
better watch-dog could be found, and many a trespasser will quit a
wood owing to the tell-tale warning given by the Jay. Noisy and
active as he is during the winter, he becomes in spring exceptionally
quiet, and only when the nest is approached does he give any
indication of his presence in the neighbourhood. The nest is generally
placed some ten feet from the ground in the fork of a tender sapling
and is made entirely of twigs and lined with fine roots. It is open and
cup-shaped, and the eggs, small for the size of the bird, are pale
green in ground colour very thickly mottled with olive brown with,
generally a narrow black irregular line at the larger end. The young
are chiefly fed on insects, spiders, and grubs, but this species 158
is practically omnivorous and nothing comes amiss, large
numbers of berries being eaten in winter. In this country he is strictly
resident, rarely wandering far from the woods which formed his
summer home, but in the northern parts of his range on the
Continent he migrates, sometimes in considerable flocks, some of
which visit our shores in autumn, and although these Continental
birds are said to be distinguishable from our own native race, we
suspect that it is largely owing to these immigrations that we can still
number the Jay as one of our common indigenous birds.

The general colour of the nape, mantle, and under parts is vinous
brown. Crown of the head whitish streaked with black; malar stripe
black. Chin, rump, and under tail coverts white; tail and primaries
black, the latter with white outer margins. Secondaries black, the
outermost five with white bases. Wing coverts barred white, black,
and blue. Length 14·25 in.; wing 7·2 in. The sexes and young are all
alike in plumage.

This species is generally distributed, except in the north of Scotland

and Ireland, where it becomes scarce.

It is perhaps worthy of note that in the Jays and Crows which build
open nests, the nestlings have dark-coloured mouths with no marked
light edging, whereas in the Jackdaw, that breeds in holes, the sides
of the mouth are enlarged and whitish in colour and show up
conspicuously in the semi-darkness of their home.
 MAGPIE
Pica rustica
 159

THE MAGPIE
Pica rustica (Scopoli)

This is another species against whom every man’s hand in this

country is raised. Being much less a bird of the woods and preferring
to make its home in high trees growing in hedgerows, or even in tall
hedges, it has unfortunately suffered much more than the Jay and is
now very local in its distribution. Bold and omnivorous, it finds little
difficulty in procuring a livelihood, and if it settles in the
neighbourhood of a poultry or game farm it must be conceded that it
will do considerable damage. On the other hand, it will also destroy
countless worms, slugs, mice, and even young rats, so that it is by no
means wholly mischievous, and in other countries where it is
unmolested it becomes very tame and confiding, nesting in farm-
yards or even in the towns, and those countries seem but little the
worse for its presence. A fine showy bird, it is a pleasure to see him
as he flies with rapid beats of his short wings across some field,
rattling out his cheery chatter as he goes. What a perky chap he
looks as he struts about on the fallow, or, having had his attention
drawn by a strange object some yards off, approaches it with a few
long hops and then with characteristic caution stops to examine it
from a distance. Satisfied that it is harmless, he stalks to it with slow
majestic walk, his head held high in the air and slightly inclined to
one side; then suddenly he sees us—a harsh chatter and off he goes
to the nearest cover. The nest is a huge domed structure
substantially built of twigs, those with sharp spikes or thorns 160
being used for preference. Inside, a deep cup is made of mud,
and inside this again is placed a thick lining of grass. The eggs are six
in number and of a bluish colour irregularly dotted, mottled, or
splashed with olive brown. It is a strictly resident bird, rarely
wandering far from its accustomed haunts and frequently going
about in pairs.

The whole bird is glossy black with bluish and green reflections,
except for the scapulars and belly, which are white. The rump is
greyish. Length, including tail, 18 in.; tail 10 in.; wing 7·75 in. The
sexes and young are all much alike in plumage.
 THE JACKDAW
Corvus monedula, Linnæus

Abundant and gregarious in most parts of the country, this species

may in winter be found associating with flocks of Rooks in the open
pastures and arable land. It is a noisy bird and the call-note “che-ak”
will generally warn us of its presence. It is found in all kinds of
situations and localities, being equally at home in the wild open
country, along the coast, rocky or alluvial, or on arable land, in well-
timbered districts, and even in the middle of our busy cities; but from
certain apparently suitable districts it is absent, and although
abundant in some towns, in others it is hardly ever found. Along the
coast where it does not occur, the Chough still holds its own, but as
we noticed under that species the presence of the Jackdaw soon
drives away the more delicate bird.
 JACKDAW
Corvus monedula

Practically omnivorous, he experiences no difficulty in 161

procuring a living wherever he may be, but will usually be
found associated with Rooks or Starlings on the pastures, often
perching on the backs of sheep to rid them of the parasites with
which they are infested. Holes in trees, walls, or ruins, church towers,
chimneys, or cavities in rocks, provide suitable nesting-sites. A rough
nest is built of sticks, lined with an abundance of fur, rabbit fleck,
wool and any other soft material.

The six eggs are pale blue in colour, with large distinct spots of olive
brown.

Although this species is to be found among us at all times of the year,

considerable migration both to and from these islands goes on in
winter, large flocks sometimes arriving on our eastern coasts.
The sexes are practically indistinguishable, and are of a glossy
purplish black on the head and back, and of a somewhat duller
greyish black below. The occipital region, nape, and sides of the neck
are clear grey, forming a sort of collar. The young birds are duller and
lack the grey collar, which is only partially assumed in the first year.
Length 13 in.; wing 9·25 in.
 THE RAVEN
Corvus corax, Linnæus

There are few birds that can compare with the Raven in the majestic
curves and sweeps of its flight as it skirts the wild and rugged 162
headland which forms its home, so that in spite of its
occasional depredations on young and sickly lambs, it is unworthy of
the persecution to which it is subjected. Scattered pairs are still to be
met with round the rocky shores of England, while in the wilder parts
of Scotland and Ireland it is still comparatively common. It chooses
for its home some wild precipitous crag exposed to the fury of the
south-westerly gales, and there it may be found at all times of year,
ruling with uncontested sway some couple of miles of coast, where it
feeds on any carrion or prey that can be found.

Early in the spring the old nest—a mass of sticks, driftwood,

seaweed, and heather, warmly lined with wool and rabbit fleck—will
be repaired, and at this season the male is magnificent to watch as
he courts his mate in beautiful aerial flight. Early in March the eggs,
three to five in number, are laid; they are bluish, densely speckled
and blotched with olive brown. The female takes sole charge of the
duties of incubation, while her mate, sitting near, keeps close watch
and attacks with great boldness and fury any other feathered
marauder.

Too often, however, their labours are in vain and man steps in and
destroys the nest; but ever faithful to the old home, many pairs
continue ineffectually to breed year after year near the same spot, till
at last in their old age they succumb to some winter’s storm and the
spot is the poorer by the loss of one of our noblest birds.
After the young are fledged they remain with their parents for some
months, till they are eventually driven out to make way for the new
brood of the following year.

The adult is of a deep, glossy, blue black. The female and 163
young only differ from the male in having less lustre on their
plumage. Length 25 in.; wing 17 in.
 THE CARRION CROW
Corvus corone, Linnæus

With every man’s hand against it, the Carrion Crow, which as a
scavenger might well be one of our most useful birds, leads a
harassed existence. Singly or in pairs it wanders about the country,
feeding on anything that comes in its way. Carrion is its chief delight,
but in default of that it turns its attention to weak and sickly birds,
mice, rats, etc., and, as is the case with other members of the Crow
family, it does quite as much good by destroying vermin as it does
harm by destroying eggs and young birds.

The nest is generally placed on the top of some high tree or on the
ledge of a cliff. It is made of sticks with an inner foundation of mud
and warmly lined with wool, bents, rabbit fleck, and hair. The eggs,
three to five in number, are very variable in markings, but except in
size resemble those of the Raven. For a short time after the young
are fledged they wander about in family parties, but they soon
separate, and after August more than a pair are seldom seen
together, a fact which will help to distinguish it at a distance from the
Rook, who is nearly always gregarious. In general appearance this
bird is very like the Rook, but it may be distinguished by the following
characters. The bill is much stouter and broader and not so 164
long and slender; its colour is black with a greenish gloss and
not of a purplish blue, and the feathers have white bases, while those
of the Rook are grey; the bristles and feathers at the base of the bill
are never worn away as is always the case with Rooks after their
second moult. Length 19·5 in.; wing 13 in. In this country it is
generally distributed where not too strongly persecuted, becoming
commoner in Scotland; but in Ireland it is very rare.
 THE HOODED CROW
Corvus cornix, Linnæus

The question as to whether this bird, which interbreeds freely with

the Carrion Crow where their ranges overlap, is or is not a good
species need not trouble us here. Suffice it to say that in England it
occurs numerously as a regular winter immigrant, large numbers
crossing the North Sea and arriving on our eastern coasts. Over the
rest of our islands its distribution is somewhat capricious. In Wales
and the western counties it is rare, whereas in Ireland and Scotland it
is well distributed and resident.

In habits it resembles the Carrion Crow but is more found on the sea-
shore and estuaries than that species, though it is also found in the
wooded districts. The back, shoulder, breast, and under parts are
ashy grey, the rest of the body being black as in the Carrion Crow, of
which in size and all other respects it is the exact counterpart.
165
 THE ROOK
Corvus frugilegus, Linnæus

There is no more delightful sound in early spring than the “caw” of

the Rooks at their “rookeries,” as their breeding places are called.
Year after year they return regularly to the same clump of trees, on
the tops of which they build a fairly substantial nest of sticks, with an
inner foundation of mud which is in turn warmly lined with roots,
straw, and fine grass. The sites chosen for their homes are more
frequently than not near human habitations or on clumps of trees
near a highway, and exceptionally, they may choose pollards or low
bushes, but as a rule the nests are never less than twenty feet from
the ground. The eggs are bluish, with olive brown spots and blotches
resembling those of the Carrion Crow, but smaller and more variable.

The young leave the nest just before they can fly, and may then be
seen sitting on the topmost branches of the trees as they sway in the
wind. This is the time when they are shot for rook-pies, and also
under the impression that if they are not thinned out the colony will
be deserted. For this belief we are not aware that any proof exists,
but curiously enough colonies left to themselves tend to diminish.
These birds are rather capricious and will occasionally, even in the
nesting season, desert the colony; the presence in the
neighbourhood of a pair of Carrion Crows is sometimes the cause,
but more often than not the reason is not apparent. As soon as the
young can fly, towards the middle or end of May, the rookery 166
is deserted: old and young keep together and wander about
the fields and arable land, digging deeply with their powerful bills in
search of larvæ and grubs, and destroying countless numbers of wire
worms, that renowned pest to agriculture. In this country it does not
migrate to any extent; certain plantations are used as regular
roosting-places, and as evening draws on in the winter months, long
strings of these birds may be seen slowly flying in their heavy
characteristic manner to their nightly shelter. Although the flight
appears heavy and laboured, they in reality travel at no mean pace,
and in their daily search for food often cover great distances. As in
the case of Jackdaws and Jays, there is a large immigration yearly on
our east coast during October and November, for in Scandinavia and
the northern portions of its breeding range it is a regular migrant.
Throughout the whole of our islands it is a common bird, but is rather
more local in Scotland, and it is only of recent years that it has
regularly bred in the extreme north. From continual digging in the
ground the feather follicles round the base of the bill become
destroyed, leaving a whitish patch of bare skin which is an unfailing
characteristic of the adult birds. In young individuals, however, the
feathers extend to the base of the bill and do not appear to be
permanently lost till during the second autumn moult. The sexes are
alike; their colour is a uniform deep and glossy purplish blue. The
young resemble their parents, but lack the gloss to their feathers.
Length 19 in.; wing 12·65 in.
 ROOK
Corvus frugilegus
Adult (right). Young (left)
 167

THE SKYLARK
Alauda arvensis, Linnæus

Of all other birds the Lark is perhaps the one which typifies most
thoroughly the freedom of life, and brings to our minds scenes of
wide open country, where, bright, free, and unrestrained, he pours
forth his song in the boundless expanse of the air.

Hatched in a neat nest of bents and dry grass lined with finer
materials and placed on the ground in the middle of an open field,
the youthful Lark has early to contend with enemies. Mice and other
ground vermin, or the heavy foot of some grazing cattle, frequently
destroy the nest and its contents, and the fact that so many escape
must be largely ascribed to good luck.

His food is of a very varied nature and nothing comes amiss. The
young are fed exclusively on insects, but after leaving the nest they
spend their time eagerly feeding on seeds, berries, or anything that
comes their way. As summer wanes, giving place to autumn, they
collect in large flocks and seek the stubble fields, where the scattered
grain gives them abundant nourishment, and on which they become
very fat. It is at such times, while they are asleep by night, that they
are netted by hundreds for the market. This form of catching can,
however, only be successfully carried out shortly after dark on the
blackest of nights, for, like all wild animals, they seem to rest with
one eye open, and should there be the faintest glimmer of light they
will be up and away long before the bird-catcher is near them. 168
In October they become restless, and many wander to the
coast, and thence to other countries, their place being taken by the
inhabitants of more northerly climates. So the months pass, until a
northerly gale and severe frost moves even these hardy northerners,
and at such times they may be seen migrating in millions (for they
travel almost entirely by day), relentlessly pursuing a southerly
course in front of the biting norther. With a change of wind and
temperature a large number will drift back again, but the movement
will not be so noticeable, and thus they pass their lives, wandering
wherever the weather and food may dictate, till in the very early days
of spring, or even on fine days throughout the winter, we may hear
their voluble song, breathing as it does the joy of freedom in every
note. This is almost always uttered on the wing. Springing from the
ground with rapid, fluttering wings, he rises perpendicularly higher
and higher till he is almost lost to sight in the clouds, though his song
still drifts down to us with unaffected clearness; higher and higher he
goes, and then in a spiral curve he slowly descends, the song ceasing
as he reaches a spot within a few feet of where he rose.

Nest-building is begun in April, and several broods are reared in a

season, the song being continued except when he is actually feeding
young in the nest.

The adult has the general plumage of a warm brownish tint, mottled
and streaked with a darker shade. There is a light-coloured
superciliary streak. The chin, throat, and upper breast and flanks are
brownish buff streaked with brown, rest of under parts yellowish
white. The sexes are alike in plumage but the female is rather
smaller. Bird-catchers measure them from tip to tip of the expanded
wings, rejecting those which are under one foot, as females. The
young have the chin and throat unspotted, and have pale edgings to
the feathers of the upper parts. Length about 7 in.; wing (of male) 4
to 5 in.
 SKYLARK
Alauda arvensis
Adult (left). Young (right)

169
 THE WOOD LARK
Alauda arborea, Linnæus

The Wood Lark is a much rarer bird than the Skylark, and very local
in distribution. Rows of trees bordering open fields are the localities
chiefly favoured by this species, which, except that it frequently
perches, and may often be heard singing from the topmost branch of
a tree, much resembles its commoner congener in habits. It feeds
almost entirely on the ground, living chiefly on insects. The nest is
placed a few yards from the hedge and composed of bents and grass,
with a lining of finer materials. The eggs, usually four in number, are
of a creamy ground colour, very thickly freckled with reddish brown
markings. This species may be most easily distinguished by its song,
which is much sweeter and fuller in tone than that of the preceding
bird, but lacks the power and exuberance. When rising from the
ground to sing, it always does so in a wide spiral curve, differing in
that respect also from the Skylark, which rises straight.

The sexes are alike in plumage and resemble the Skylark, but 170
it is a smaller bird and has a short hind toe and is more
heavily streaked on the back. Length 6 in.; wing 3·6 in.
 THE CRESTED LARK
Alauda cristata, Linnæus

The Crested Lark is a common species on the Continent, even as

close to our shores as the north of France, but very few examples
have been known to stray to this country. It is not gregarious like the
Common Skylark, and the song is not usually uttered on the wing,
but in food and other habits it does not differ much from our well-
known species.

In general colour this species is much duller, and the beak is longer
and stouter than the Skylark, but its chief characteristics are the long
pointed crest, the large bastard primary, and the absence of white on
the tail. Length 6·75 in.; wing 4·1 in.
 THE SHORT-TOED LARK
Alauda brachydactyla, Leisler

This bird is a resident, or partial migrant, throughout the whole of

Southern Europe, but it has been known to occur in Northern
Germany, Belgium, and the north of France. In Great Britain about
half-a-dozen examples have been taken at various times in the south
and east.

Very similar in appearance to other Larks, but, as its name 171

indicates, the hind claw is short. The under parts are white
and unspotted except for a few streaks on the sides of the neck.
Length 5·5 in.; wing 3·4 in.
 THE WHITE-WINGED LARK
Alauda sibirica, J. F. Gmelin

This species breeds across Central Russia and through the Kirghiz
steppes as far as the Altai, migrating southwards in winter. Has only
once occurred in England. The bill is short and stout, and this species
may be at once recognised by the white inner primaries and
secondaries, which form a conspicuous patch. Length 7·5 in.; wing
4·6 in.
 THE BLACK LARK
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forster)

This species inhabits South Russia, Transcaspia, and Western Siberia.

In the winter of 1906 a small flock, consisting of both males and
females, arrived in Sussex, being presumably driven westwards owing
to the severity of the weather.

The male has the entire plumage jet black, but in winter this colour is
largely obscured by broad sandy margins to the feathers. The female
is pale sandy brown with darker markings, under parts white, spotted
on the throat and breast. Length about 7·7 in.; wing 5·3 in.

172
 SHORE LARK
Otocorys alpestris (Linnæus)

A very different bird is this from the other Larks with which we have
been dealing. He is seldom seen in this country, and then only in
small numbers and at irregular periods.

The wide tundras of the North form his home, and there he may be
found plentifully, but as the long Arctic day gives way to the cold
black night, he reluctantly retires and passes the winter in the
temperate portions of the northern hemisphere. In these islands we
are just on the fringe of his wanderings, and almost every year a few
stragglers put in an appearance on our eastern coast in autumn; their
visits are of but short duration, and as a rule they quickly pass away
southwards. With very severe weather on the Continent, however,
they may appear in some numbers towards midwinter, and at such
times remain with us till at the first sign of coming spring they are off
again to their dearly loved home in the North.

General colour above pale sandy brown, tinged with rufous on the
back of the head and nape. Forehead and a superciliary stripe white;
a band across the head, lores, cheeks, and a triangular band across
the chest, black; rest of under parts white, inclined to rufous on the
breast and flanks. The female is smaller and duller. Length about 7
in.; wing 4·4 in.

173
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