272 Old White Wing 
few minutes the leader left the perch, and, flying low 
until he neared a tall apple tree which stood within 
a few yards of the barnyard fence, sailed with curved 
wing to the topmost branch. After this reconnoitring, 
as all seemed quiet, it was not long before there 
were three crows in the barnyard feeding on the dead 
body of a calf. During all this time not a sound in 
the crow language could be heard. Suddenly a. barn 
door creaked on its hinges, and almost simultaneously 
came the warning cry of danger from the sentinel and 
the report of a gun, followed by the death struggle of 
one of the crows. Immediately the remainder of 
the flock followed Old White Wing in a retreat to 
the grove of hemlocks. 
It was during the spring and early summer before 
my acquaintance with Old White Wing that he had 
become most notorious. Once he had caught a 
chicken while the good housewife was feeding the 
brood. Scarecrows seemed to have no effect upon 
him; he could read the delusion at a glance, and from 
the top of one would watch and direct his band 
while foraging. Poisoned corn was scattered over a 
field which he and his band had visited scores of 
times, but he was not deceived. He had once nearly 
lost his life by this means, and Old White Wing 
never needed a lesson twice. Snares, traps of all 
