126 CROW. 



rendered unsuspicious of, and placed on terms of familiarity with, man, 

 that the true traits of his genius, and native disposition, fully develop 

 themselves. In this state he soon learns to distinguish all the members 

 of the family ; flies towards the gate, screaming at the approach of a 

 stranger ; learns to open the door by alighting on the latch ; attends 

 regularly at the stated hours of dinner and breakfast ; which he appears 

 punctually to recollect ; is extremely noisy and loquacious ; imitates the 

 sound of various words, pretty distinctly ; is a great thief and hoarder 

 of curiosities, hiding in holes, corners and crevices, every loose article 

 he can carry off, particularly small pieces of metal, corn, bread, and 

 food of all kinds ; is fond of the society of his master, and will know 

 him even after a long absence ; of which the following is a remark- 

 able instance, and may be relied on as a fact. A very worthy gen- 

 tleman, now living in the Genesee country, but who, at the time 

 alluded to, resided on the Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had 

 raised a Crow, with whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse 

 himself. This Crow lived long in the family ; but at length disappeared, 

 having, as was then supposed, been shot by some vagrant gunner, or de- 

 stroyed by accident. About eleven months after this, as the gentleman, 

 one morning, in company with several others, was standing on tlie river 

 shore, a number of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left the 

 flock, and flying directly towards the company, alighted on the gentle- 

 man's shoulder, and began to gabble away with great volubility, as one 

 long-absent friend naturally enough does on meeting with another. On 

 recovering from his surprise, the gentleman instantly recognised his old 

 acquaintance ; and endeavored by several civil but sly manoeuvres to lay 

 hold of him ; but the Crow, not altogether relishing quite so much 

 familiarity, having now had a taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously 

 eluded all his attempts ; and suddenly glancing his eye on his distant 

 companions, mounted in the air after them, soon overtook and mingled 

 with them, and was never afterward seen to return. 



The habits of the Crow, in his native state, are so generally known, 

 as to require little further illustration. His watchfulness, and jealous 

 sagacity in distinguishing a person with a gun, are notorious to every 

 one. In spring, when he makes his appearance among the groves and 

 low thickets, the whole feathered songsters are instantly alarmed, well 

 knowing the depredations and murders he commits on their nests, eggs 

 and young. Few of them, however, have the courage to attack him, 

 except the King-bird, who on these occasions teases and pursues him 

 from place to place, diving on his back while high in the air, and harass- 

 ing him for a great distance. A single pair of these noble-spirited birds, 

 whose nest was built near, have been known to protect a whole field of 

 corn from the depredations of the Crows, not permitting one to ap- 

 proach it. 



