CHAPTER IV. 



HIS HABITS. 



THE crow is an early riser. Some time before 

 " the roseate hues of early dawn" gild the morn- 

 ing skies he is up and doing. His uprising is attended 

 by vociferous cawing. I presume that the first 

 bird to awaken caws into his sleeping neighbour's 

 ear, and so on all along the line, until the whole 

 colony is awake and shouting. Crows roost in 

 company. At night all the corvidae of the neighbour- 

 hood foregather, discuss for a time the doings of 

 the day, and then lose themselves in sweet slumber. 

 Crows are not cursed with consciences, hence they 

 sleep the sleep of the just in spite of many 

 crimes. During the whole of a dark night not a 

 single caw will be heard, but when the moon shines 

 occasional " drowsy utterances " may reach the 

 ear. These emanate from some misguided bird 

 who awakes suddenly and while yet drowsy 



