324 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



the seeds of the Cypress tree and hackberry, beech nuts and cockle 

 burrs. What is called by Europeans the Illinois Parrot, P. pertinax, 

 is the young bird of this species, in its imperfect colours. 



Raven. Found all over the habitable parts of America. Is more 

 numerous in the interior, than on the coast. Along the Lakes they 

 abound ; and were seen in immense multitudes by Lewis and Clark's 

 party on their whole route across the continent. 



Common Crow. This is perhaps the most generally known, and 

 least beloved, of all our land birds ; having neither melody of song, 

 nor beauty of plumage, nor excellence of flesh, nor civility of man- 

 ners to recommend him ; on the contrary, he is branded as a thief 

 and a plunderer ; a kind of black-coated vagabond, who hovers over 

 the fields of the industrious, fattening on their labours ; and by his. 

 voracity often blasting their expectations. Hated as he is by the far- 

 mer, watched and persecuted by almost every bearer of a gun, who 

 all triumph in his destruction, had not heaven bestowed on him intel- 

 ligence and sagacity far beyond common, there is reason to believe 

 that the whole tribe, in these parts at least, would long ago have 

 ceased to exist. The Crow is a constant attendant on agriculture, 

 and a general inhabitant of the cultivated parts of North America. 



It is in the month of May, and until the middle of June, that this 

 species is most destructive to the corn-fields, digging up the newly 

 planted grains of Maize, pulling up by the roots those that have be- 

 gun to vegetate, and thus frequently obliging the farmer to replant, 

 or lose the benefit of the soil ; and this sometimes twice, and even 

 three times, occasioning a considerable additional expense and in- 

 equality of harvest. No mercy is now shewn him. The myriads of 

 worms, moles, mice, caterpillars, grubs and beetles which he has 

 destroyed, are altogether overlooked on these occasions. Detected 

 in robbing the hens 1 nests, pulling up the corn, and killing the young 

 chickens, he is considered as an outlaw, and sentenced to destruction. 

 But the great difficulty is how to put this sentence in execution. His 

 watchfulness, and jealous sagacity in distinguishing a person with a 

 gun, are notorious to every one. 



Towards the close of summer, the parent Crows with their new 

 families, forsaking their solitary lodgings, collect together, as if by 

 previous agreement, when evening approaches. About an hour be- 

 fore sunset they are first observed, flying somewhat in Indian file, in 

 one direction, at a short height above the tops of the trees, silent and 

 steady, keeping the general curvature of the ground, continuing to 

 pass sometimes till after sunset, so that the whole line of march would 

 extend for many miles. The most noted Crow roost with which we 

 are acquainted, is near Newcastle, on an island in the river Delaware, 

 known by the name of the Pea-patch. This is a low flat alluvial spot 

 of a few acres, elevated but a little above high water mark, and co- 

 vered with a thick growth of reeds. This appears to be the grand 

 rendezvous or headquarters, of the greater part of the Crows within 

 forty or fifty miles of the spot. It is entirely destitute of trees, the 

 Crows alighting and nestling among the reeds, which by these means 

 are broken down and matted together. The noise created by these 

 multitudes, both in their evening assembly, and re-ascension in the 

 morning; and the depredations they commit in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of this great resort, are almost incredible. Whole fields of 

 corn are sometimes laid waste by thousands alighting on it at once, 

 with appetites whetted by the fast of the preceding night; and the 



