Volume 1

A hand-book to the birds of Great Britain / [Richard Bowdler Sharpe].

  • Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, 1847-1909
Date:
1894-1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A hand-book to the birds of Great Britain / [Richard Bowdler Sharpe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in Scandinavia than in Siberia, where it reaches to the Valley of theVenesei,Seebohm having noticed it at Krasnoyarsk (lat. 56“). In many parts of Southern Europe the Jackdaw is local, but it occurs in the countries north of the Mediterranean and in Algeria. It has not been found in Egypt, and in South- eastern Europe is replaced by Coloius collaris, which takes its place to the eastward. Habits.—The Jackdaw is decidedly a gregarious bird like the Rook, with which it is a close companion, especially in winter, migrating in flocks along with that species. Even in the breeding season many pairs nest in company, and we have known as many as ten nests in a single old tree. Cathedral and University towns are favourite haunts of the Jackdaw, which finds its favourite nesting-places in the old towers and churches. In many places, however, the bird builds in holes of cliffs and in rabbit-burrows, and not unfrequently in the open. We have ourselves seen a Jackdaw’s nest on the ledge of a Avindow-sill of an outhouse. Nest.—The nest is an untidy structure, by no means equal to that of the Rook as a piece of architecture, and is composed of sticks, moss and grass, with a few feathers occasionally added. Eggs.—From three to six in number, bluish green or bluish white, with obscure grey spots and bolder spots and markings of brown or greenish brown, distributed pretty equally over the whole egg. Axis, 1-35-1-55 inch ; diam., o-q-i’i inch. In dry seasons, when food is difficult to obtain, the number of eggs is often only, three, and many young birds perish in the nest. THE CROWS. GENUS CORONE. Coro7ie, Kaup, Skizz., Natiirl Syst., p. 99 (1829). Type, C. corone (Linn.). The Crows are Ravens in miniature, and differ only in the form of the wing, the first primary quill being longer than the ordinary secondaries, but not equal to the innermost second- aries in length. They are found in the northern portions of both Hemispheres, ranging into Mexico in the New World, and occurring over the greater part of the Old World, except in