THE CAEBION CEOW IN THE BALANCE 45 



a vegetarian, tliere is no doubt that lie feeds 

 largely on vegetable substances. Like the 

 sparrow and other London birds, he has become 

 with us a great bread-eater. 



Mr. Kempshall, the superintendent at Clissold 

 Park, relates a curious story of this civilised 

 taste in the crow. The park for very many 

 years was the home of a pair of these birds. 

 Unfortunately, when this space was opened to 

 the public, in 1889, the birds forsook it, and 

 settled in some large trees on private grounds 

 in the neighbourhood. These trees were cut 

 down about three years ago, whereupon the 

 birds returned to Clissold Park ; but they have 

 now again left it. One summer morning before 

 the park was opened, when there were young- 

 crows in the nest, Mr. Kempshall observed 

 one of the old birds laboriously making his way 

 across the open ground towards the nesting- 

 tree, laden with a strange-looking object. This 

 was white and round and three times as big 

 as an orange, and the crow, flying close to the 

 ground, was obliged to alight at short intervals, 

 whereupon he would drop his pack and take a 

 rest. Curious to know what he was carrying, 

 the superintendent made a sudden rush at the 



