T H E C R O W. 51 



generally. He is fond of the company of his master, 

 and will recognize him even after a long absence, 

 as the following well-authenticated anecdote will 

 show : 



"A worthy gentleman who resided on the river 

 Delaware near Easton, had raised a Crow with whose 

 tricks and society he used frequently to amuse him- 

 self. The Crow lived long in the family, but at 

 length disappeared, having, as was then supposed, 

 been shot by some vagrant gunner, or destroyed by 

 accident. About eleven months after this, as the 

 gentleman, one morning, in company with several 

 others, was standing on the river shore, a number 

 of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left 

 the flock, and flying directly toward the company, 

 alighted on the gentleman's shoulder, and began to 

 gabble away with great volubility, as one long absent 

 friend, naturally enough, does on meeting with an- 

 other. On recovering from his surprise, the gentle- 

 man instantly recognized his old acquaintance, and 

 endeavored, by several civil but sly manoeuvres, to 

 lay hold of him ; but the Crow, not altogether re- 

 lishing quite so much familiarity, having now had a 

 taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously eluded all 

 his attempts; and suddenly glancing his eye on his 

 distant companions, mounted in the air after them, 

 soon overtook and mingled with them, and was never 

 afterward seen to return."* 



The Magpie, which in Great Britain is so common 



* Wilson's " American Ornithology." 



