41 



before some respectable Hindu's shop and threatens 

 to kill the bird he holds in his hand. The Hindu 

 pays a ransom of a pice or two and the crow is 

 released/' 



Crows are highly social birds, and natives firmly 

 believe that they hold panchatjats and punish 

 offenders. They certainly seem to hold what Phil. 

 Robinson calls " cawcusses, " but their social 

 instincts do not appear to be so highly developed as 

 those of the rook. This is probably the result of 

 their oriental surroundings. The East has produced 

 many saints but few citizens. 



Crows, in spite of their boldness, are very difficult 

 birds to tame. I have fed the same colony of birds 

 for weeks but have never succeeded in getting a crow 

 to take food from my hand. Colonel Cunningham 

 was more successful. He writes in his interesting 

 book, Some Indian Friends and Acquaintances : " At 

 one time I used to feed a great troop ot them every 

 morning and evening ; but although they so fully 

 identified me as a source of supply that they never 

 assembled for their daily dole whilst I was absent 

 from Calcutta, and immediately resumed attendance 



