718 APPENDIX. 



ing every thing, it becomes often a troublesome pet. This 

 propensity, which all its congeners seem to possess, I am dis- 

 posed to ascribe to their instinctive desire for carrion, not to 

 that of hoarding and concealing food to serve as a future sup- 

 ply. Their natural and favourite food is what is in a putres- 

 cent state, and burying it under ground is one means of pro- 

 ducing this. The dog does the same, and he always prefers 

 putrid carrion in his unsophisticated state to fresh animal 

 substances. There is some analogy between the Dog and 

 the Crow, viewed in their respective places in the scale of 

 nature. 



" A curious habit of this species is what is here termed Kraas 

 Court. The season when it occurs is I think always spring ; 

 but it is not a regular or frequent habit. Flocks of scores ur 

 hundreds may be seen for an hour or so assembled. A few of 

 the number are loquacious and locomotive : these may be re- 

 garded as the barristers. The great majority are taciturn and 

 quiescent, appearing to be listeners or spectators, intent on the 

 issue of the proceedings. Neither judges nor jury, witnesses 

 nor accusers, have I been able to discover. After the meeting 

 has quietly separated, one or two corpses are not unfrequently 

 found remaining in the place where the Ting has been held. 

 What the mode of execution had been even a post-mortem 

 examination throws no light upon. It must, at all events, 

 have been sudden, for no such indecorous or prolonged indica- 

 tions of an execution as sometimes takes place among clothed 

 bipeds, are observed among Hooded Crows. Here is realized 

 the great desideratum of certain Utopians in legislature, that 

 of bringing prompt if not gentle justice to every man's door. 

 A capital crime is pled, judged, punished in an hour. Truly 

 we, unfledged lords of the creation, have much to learn and 

 unlearn, reform and improve. Another theory, less solemn 

 and imposing it is true, but perhaps more agreeable to vulgar 

 fact, may be this : — that the Kraa's Court, instead of being a 

 College of Justice, with its acts of sederunt and other supreme 

 powers and privileges, happens in this way. Some strangers 

 or long emigrant Hoodies appearing near the domiciles or 

 hunting grounds of the resident aborigines, are by them in- 



