246 • NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



fog so dense and impenetrable that it was hardly possible to distinguish ob- 

 jects across its streets, Mr. Cassin's attention was called to an immense 

 accumulation of these birds in Independence Square. The whole park he 

 found, to his utter astonishment, occupied by an immense army of Crows. 

 They filled all the trees, bending down the overloaded branches, and swarmed 

 over and covered the ground. The entire space seemed alive with Crows. 

 They had evidently become bewildered in the fog, and had strangely taken 

 refuge in this small park in the very heart of Philadelphia. As if aware of 

 their close proximity to danger, the whole assembly was quiet, orderly, and 

 silent. A few birds, evidently acting as leaders, moved noiselessly back and 

 forth through their ranks, as if giving tacit signals. These movements were 

 followed by the departure of a few scouts, as if sent to make explorations, 

 but they soon returned unsuccessful. Again were repeated the uneasy 

 movements of their leaders, passing slowly and cautiously through their 

 close ranks. After an apparently much longer consultation, another small 

 party ascended to explore, wheeling round and round in wider and wider 

 zones. At length, satisfied with their observations, they quietly returned, 

 and made their report in a manner evidently understood, though not audibly 

 expressed ; for immediately the leaders passed again among the crowd, and, 

 as if signals were given for a general movement, the whole of this immense 

 congregation, numbering, Mr. Cassin estimated, hundreds of thousands, rose 

 slowly and silently, preceded by their scouts, and, moving off in a westerly 

 direction, were soon lost to view. 



When taken young, the Crow can be easily domesticated, and becomes a 

 very entertaining, but a very mischievous pet. It is very secretive, hiding 

 objects of no value to itself, and seems to delight in mischief It displays 

 often a wonderful intelligence, appears to understand and to obey certain 

 directions, and manifests also remarkable quickness of vision. A tame Crow 

 belonging to a family resident near Boston, and permitted to go at large, 

 manifested all the attachment of a dog. It especially enjoyed the society 

 of the children, and played with them in their games of hide and seek, sur- 

 passing them by its readiness in finding the secreted object. It was es- 

 pecially attached to the mistress of the house, flying to her whenever she 

 approached, hovering over her head, and alighting on her shoulder. 



In a few instances the Crow has been taught to imitate articulate sounds. 

 In one of these, in Grafton, Mass., the Crow not only vociferated a single 

 monosyllable repeatedly, but at other times enunciated a short sentence of 

 five syllables. 



A few are resident in Massachusetts during the year, but the greater por- 

 tion move south in November and return in March. Those who remain 

 during the winter are chiefly resident near the sea-shore. The Crow breeds 

 from April to June, varying with the latitude of its residence. In Massa- 

 chusetts it has full-grown young by June 1. It builds, usually in March, a 

 large rudely constructed nest of sticks, moss, and bark, lined with finer 



