lO 



THE WESTERN CROW. 



quantities (jf crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, catcr]iillars, cut-wnrnis, and spid- 

 ers, are consumed. Frogs, lizards, mice, and snakes also^ appear occasii.>nally 

 upon the hill of fare. On the whole, therefore, the Crow is not an economic 

 Gorgon, and his destruction neetl not large!)- concern the farmer, altho it is 

 always well to teach the bird a proper reverence. 



The psychology- of the Crow- is worthy of a separate treatise. All birds 

 have a certain faculty of direct perception, which we are pleased tO' call in- 

 stinct; but the Crow, at least, coiiies delightfully near to reasoning. It is on 

 account of his phenomei-ial lirightness that a young Crow is among the most 

 interesting- of pets. If taken fron-i the nest and well treated, a young Crow can 

 be given such a large measure of freedom as fully to justify the experiment 

 from a humanitarian standpoint. Of course the sure end of such a pet is death 

 by an ignorant neighbor's gun. but the dear departed is embalmed in memory 

 to such a degree that all Crows are thereafter regarded as upon a higher plane. 



Everyone knows that Crows talk. Their cry is usually represented by 

 a single syllable, caiv. but it is capable of many and important moditicatioi-is. 

 For instance, kcrara', kcraiv, comes from some irritated and apprehensive 

 female, who is trying to smuggle a stick into the grove: kaick-kazJc-lcan'k 

 proclaims suddeii danger, and puts the flock into instant commotion : while 



caiu-aii.', caK-ira'. caw-a-u\ re 

 again. Once, in winter 

 bird-man, for sport, was 

 tifying- the local bin 

 population by re- 

 producing the 

 notes of the 

 Screech Owl, a 

 c O' m p a n y O'f 

 Crows settled 

 in the tops 

 of neighboring 

 trees, and earn- 

 estly discussed 

 the probable 

 nature of the 

 od> j e c t half- 

 concealed under 

 a camera cl<ith. 

 Finally, they 

 g;ave it up and 

 withdrew — as 

 I supposed. It 





assures them 

 W'hen the 

 mvs- 



NEST AND EGGS OF VVESrERN CROW. 



