CARRION CROW. 525 



very small aperture, and after remaining for three or four hours, 

 I found that the Crows were fluttering in the air a few feet 

 above my head, making the most fearful croaking, and thereby 

 intimating that they were aware of their enemy being in am- 

 bush. I accordingly took the hint, and went home. Next 

 day I took down my house, and built another under a thick 

 hawthorn-hedge ; and so closely was it covered with whins and 

 grass, that I am convinced the smallest bird that flitted in the 

 air could not see into it. There I waited with anxiety the re- 

 turn of the birds, but after having remained several hours, I 

 found that they were as shy as ever. They had seen me go in, 

 and therefore they were determined to remain at a distance, 

 until they saw me come out again. I fell upon another plan 

 however, which at length proved successful. 



" In the course of a day or two I went back again, and took 

 with me my servant boy. After creeping into my snug retreat, 

 I made him shut up the entrance as carefully as he could. 

 His departure from the place attracted their attention, and 

 they followed him to a considerable distance, croaking very 

 loudly. They then returned and perched on the top of a beech 

 tree, about five hundred yards from the place where I was 

 sitting ; and there they remained upwards of an hour, look- 

 ing around them with most jealous anxiety. At length the 

 female alighted on the top of a tree about twenty yards from 

 her nest, and after standing, almost motionless, for fifteen mi- 

 nutes, fed her young. Immediately on her departure the male 

 arrived and commenced the same duty. They continued thus, 

 in rapid succession, for a considerable time. Being now tired 

 of sitting so long in one posture, I shot at the male, and down 

 he tumbled. 



" About three days after this I w^ent back to despatch the 

 female. To my astonishment, however, instead of one crow, 

 as I expected, two alighted at the same moment on the nest, 

 and commenced with alacrity their mutual operations. I re- 

 mained a little while, and perceived that the widow, in order 

 to assist her in her offices of love, had picked up some discon- 

 solate widower, or disappointed bachelor. She had made 

 choice of one of the largest and finest crows, I think, I ever 



