A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE crown ; it was within the huge cup thus formed that the nest was placed. On 23 March 1852 I was drawn up to the nest by means of a rope, and it contained three young, which were secured. The old ones came very close but did not attack me in any way. The young were taken home, which would be about a mile away, the parents, neverthe- less, paying them frequent visits. The youngsters were allowed a fair amount of freedom, after their wings had been clipped, and on more than one occasion the old ones came circling down upon them from a great height and attacked them fiercely, and when we went to the rescue seemed loath to retreat. One year the hen bird was shot whilst nest- ing, but the male by the following day had brought another mate home, whence I know not, as I never knew of another pair in the county, although I understood a pair nested in Beechwood Park, near Hemel Hempsted. The same year (that would be in 1856) they built in another beech tree hard by, which was much higher and placed in a very con- spicuous position. I managed to climb up to it and took the eggs. They added to the nest and occupied it a second year, and again the nest was robbed, when they went back to the old nest. How many times they were suc- cessful in bringing forth their brood I cannot say, but I am inclined to think it was not many, and considering how often the nest was harried and the old ones shot at (not always with the intention of killing them) it is won- derful how they stuck to the place. The ravens did no particular damage that I am aware of ' (C. F. Woods). ' An uncle of mine, long since deceased, often took the eggs and young of ravens at Bolnhurst and Keysoe Wood ; he sometimes saw several in company together feeding on the carcase of a sheep or lamb ; frequently a crow or two would be in their company, but had to remain at a respectful distance until their superiors had gorged sufficiently. And from informa- tion I have been able to gather, the raven probably bred at Thurleigh also, in fact there is little doubt that sixty or seventy years ago it was a very well known bird with us ' (A. Covington). ' Used to breed in the fir trees at Allington Hill, near Little Barford, for twenty years or more, previous to 1865, or thereabouts' (P. Addington). 77. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. This species is fast disappearing. Fifty years ago it must have been a common bird with us, distributed generally throughout the county. During 1899, in which I gave the distribution of this bird special attention, a very liberal census would not exceed more than twenty pairs nesting within the county. But a few years since it bred regularly in the plantations around Clapham, Ravensden and Thurleigh ; at Bromham in Salem's Thrift ; at Stagsden, in Hanger's Wood ; in Odell and Carlton Woods, and at Elstow and Harrow- den ; also on the island in the Biddenham backwaters, as well as the plantation known as Doctor's Corner or Devil's Spinney near the Clapham Viaduct ; but such localities know this bird no more. Its only remaining haunts of which I am aware are in the neighbour- hoods of Turvey, Stagsden, Stevington, Brom- ham, Rowney Warren, Clop hill, Wootton, Milton Bryant, Podington, Colmworth, Paven- ham and Leighton Buzzard. 78. Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, Linn. Locally, Royston Crow. Although a fairly common bird throughout our county, it confines itself more particularly to the river valleys, especially where the country is low-lying and open. One seldom fails to notice this bird along the river below Bedford during the winter in such localities as Fenlake and Goldington, and a very favourite haunt is the sewage farm at Newnham, where I have observed at times several feed- ing together. On the Ivel too it is of regular occurrence, as many as four or five having come under my notice in a walk from Shefford to Langford. It is usually alone, but, in many instances, its mate will be noticed not very far away. This bird reaches us generally in October and departs again in March. The specimens I have been able to examine in the flesh vary considerably in size. 79. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. The rook, so frequently mis-named the crow, is common in all parts of the county. Rookeries are generally observed in the vicinity of houses, and the birds show a dis- tinct preference for the mansion to the humble cottage. There are however a few instances where they seem to be more independent, discarding the habitation of man altogether, and locating their nests in the trees upon some of the quiet lying islands in the upper reaches of the river. On the other hand, one may count a dozen or more sites that are occupied for nesting purposes within the town of Bedford itself. Pied variations are not in- frequent ; cream-coloured and several albinos have also been obtained. 80. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis, Linn. This bird is probably nowhere better known [16
