The SNOW CROW, or ALPINE CHOUGH (_Pyrrhocorax alpinus_) possesses a
comparatively strong, yellow beak, of about the length of its head, and
its plumage more nearly resembles that of a Blackbird than that of a
Crow. The attire of the adult is of a rich velvety black, the feet are
red. Whilst young the feathers are of a paler tint, and the feet yellow.
In size and habits the Alpine Chough closely resembles the species last
described--indeed, it may be regarded as holding the same place among
the pinnacles of Alpine ranges as that occupied by the Lark in our
corn-fields, or the Seagull on our coasts. Tschudi tells us that two of
these birds were seen by Meyer during his ascent of the Finsteraarhorn,
at an altitude of more than 13,000 feet above the level of the sea,
and they are frequently known to inhabit regions that are entirely
uninhabitable by man, or even by the quadrupeds that occasionally are
found at very considerable altitudes. Travellers who attempt the most
precipitous and apparently desolate passes are astonished to find that
they are greeted by a noise which they could never have supposed to
have existed amongst the lofty peaks of the solemn and majestic Alps,
and soon find themselves beset by swarms of Snow Crows, who scream and
quarrel among themselves as they hover over the heads of their unusual
visitors, or perch upon a neighbouring pinnacle the better to observe
their movements. The utmost severity of the winter will not drive them to
seek a home in the country that lies beneath, upon which they, however,
occasionally descend in large flocks, making the air resound with hoarse
caws, or shrill cries, as they search for berries in the bushes that
abound in Alpine valleys. Almost any kind of food is consumed by them
with avidity, but they manifest a decided preference for snails of
various kinds--indeed, upon one occasion we found no less than thirteen
of these destructive molluscs in the crop of a Snow Crow that we had
killed: like birds of prey, they will occasionally follow living animals,
and devour dead carcases with the greatest eagerness. The author from
whom we quote tells us that he has known these birds to rush down from
their retreats at the first report of a gun, and join in the pursuit of
the intended victim with the utmost excitement, and mentions an instance
in which a flock of Alpine Choughs hovered for months over a precipice,
beneath which lay the whitened bones of a hunter who had met his death
in pursuit of a chamois, and whose flesh they had eaten. Most noisy are
the altercations while these creatures are at their disgusting meals,
which are enlivened by a constant succession of vicious attempts to drive
their companions from their prey. When devouring the smaller birds or
quadrupeds the head is first attacked in order to obtain the brains.
[Illustration: THE CHOUGH (_Fregilus graculus_).]
The nest of the Snow Crow is but rarely found, being built in clefts or
fissures of the steep rocks in which they live; it is large and flat, and
is usually constructed of blades of grass. The eggs, five in number, in
size resemble those of the Common Crow; the shell is light grey, marked
with spots of a deeper shade. Successive generations often build upon the
same place, which in time becomes so thickly covered with the excreta
of its numerous occupants as to form beds of guano, which are largely
employed as a valuable manure. When domesticated, says Savi, the Snow
Crow exhibits great attachment to its owner, and becomes so tame as to
fly quite freely about the house. It will consume almost anything eaten
by the family, and prefers milk or wine to water. While eating, it seizes
the morsel and tears it with the claws before swallowing it, and should
the supply prove too large for present need the remainder is carefully
put away, and hidden under scraps of paper or any available covering,
its owner keeping a very sharp look-out to prevent the discovery of his
concealed treasure. So remarkable is its liking for _fire_, that we might
imagine it to be the _Avis incendiaria_ of the ancients; it has been
known to pluck the burning wick from a lamp and swallow it, or to draw
small live coals from the hearth for this purpose, without any apparent
ill effect, and so to delight in smoke as to take every opportunity of
throwing a scrap of rag, wood, or paper into the grate, for the pleasure
of seeing the light clouds ascend as it is consumed by the flames. The
affection of this bird for those by whom it is tamed is remarkably
demonstrative; it seems to observe their absence, and greets them on
their return with every expression of delight; to some persons, on the
contrary, it occasionally takes a most unaccountable aversion, and pecks
and screams at them whenever they approach. The song of the Snow Crow is
varied, and it has been known to whistle a simple air that it had been
taught.
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The TRUE RAVENS are distinguished by their large but rather short beak,
which is more or less curved, and covered at its base with a number of
black bristles; the wings are of moderate size, and reach, when closed,
to the end of the tail; the feet are powerful, and the plumage a rich
black, more or less glossy.