16 



of these bold robbers : while she would be eating her 

 food one or two crowds would come up and, having 

 wished her good evening, one of them woul^ peck 

 at her back or tail, and, as she turned her head 

 to give the impudent bird a quid pro quo, the other 

 crows would snatch pieces of food from the dish. 

 Upon one occasion the crows attacked her in such 

 numbers that she was driven from her food and 

 forced to look on, yelping helplessly, while the birds 

 ate it up. 



Is it to be wondered at that the crows flourish like 

 the green bay tree ? They are birds of prey. They 

 like nothing so well as a tender young sparrow, fresh 

 from the nest. Hence they make a special study of 

 ornithology. Every crow is a first-class naturalist, 

 and deserves to be made a member of the Zoological 

 Society, but we do not receive our deserts in this 

 world, and perhaps it is as well for the crows that 

 we do not. If, how^ever, their knowledge of 



natural history 

 brmgsthemno 

 honour they 

 derive much 

 profit there 



