782 Home Nature-Study Course. 



than she does others. She does not Hke at all the cunning old crow which 

 steals the suet she puts on the shade trees in winter for the chickadees 

 and nuthatches; and she has hired a boy with a shot gun to protect the 



eggs and nestlings of the robins and 

 other birds in her neighborhood from 

 the ravages of one or two cruel old 

 crows that have developed the nest- 

 hunting habit. On the other hand, she 

 became a sincere admirer of a crow flock 

 which worked in a field close to her 

 country home, and she has been the 

 chosen friend of several tame crows 



Photo by A. A. Allen , • . ^- .1 



Young Crow ^ho were even more mterestmg than 



they were mischievous. 

 What a perfectly New England sound is this voice of the crow ! If you stand 

 still anywhere in the outskirts of the town and listen, this is perhaps the sound which 

 you will be most sure to hear, rising above all sounds of human industry and leading 

 your thoughts to some far away bay in the woods. The bird sees the white 

 man come and the Indian withdraw, but it withdraws not. Its untamed voice 

 is still heard above the tinkling of the forge. It sees a race pass away, but it 

 passes not away. It remains to remind us of aboriginal nature. — Thoreau. 



Lesson XXV. 

 the appearance of the crow. 



Purpose. — To induce the pupils to study the habits of this interesting 

 bird more closely. 



(i). How large is the crow compared with other black birds? 



(2). Describe the colors of the crow when seen in the sunlight. 



(3). Describe the general shape of the crow. 



(4). Are its wings long and slender or short and stout? 



(5). Is the tail long or short? Is it notched or straight at the end? 



(6). Describe the crow's feet. Are they large and strong or slender? 



(7). How many toes does the track show in the snow or mud? How 

 many are directed forward and how many backward? 



(8). Describe a crow's flight compared with that of the hawk. 



(9). Describe the crow's beak and what it is used for? 



(10). What is the color of the crow's eye? 



(11). When hunting for food does the crow hop or walk? 



(12). Which are the crow's nearest relatives? 



