THE CROW. 71 



aften blasting their expectations. Hated a» he is ij the 

 farmer, watched and persecuted by almost every bearer of 9 

 gun, who all triumph in his destruction, had not Heaven 

 bestowed on him intelligence and sagacity far beyond com- 

 mon, there is reason to believe that the whole tribe (in 

 these parts at least) would long ago have ceased to exist. 



It is in the month of May, and until the middle of June, 

 that the Crow is most destructive to the corn-fields, digging 

 op the newly planted grains of maize, pulling up by the 

 roots those that have begun to vegetate, and thus frequently 

 obliging the farmer to replant, or lose the benefit of the 

 soil ; and this sometimes twice, and even three times, occa- 

 sioning a considerable additional expense, and inequality 

 of harvest. No mercy is now shown him. The myriads of 

 worms, moles, mice, caterpillars, grubs, and beetles, which 

 he has destroyed, are altogether overlooked on these occa- 

 sions. Detected in robbing the hens' nests, pulling up the 

 corn, and killing the young chickens, he is considered as 

 an outlaw, and sentenced to destruction. But the great 

 diflSculty is, how to put this sentence in execution. In 

 Tain the gunner skulks along the hedges and fences ; his 

 faithful sentinels, planted on some commanding point, raise 

 the alarm, and disappoint vengeance of its object. The 

 coast again clear, he returns once more in silence, to finish 

 the repast he had begun. Sometimes ho approaches the 

 (arm-house by stealth, in search of young chickens, which 

 ao is in the habit of snat-chinj]: oflT, when he can elude th^ 



