34 IN BIRD LAND. 
before us. Our exclamations of pleasure at the 
scene were soon interrupted by a shadow hurtling 
across the hollow, and on looking up, we saw a vast 
army of crow blackbirds sweeping overhead, moving 
about fifty abreast. How long the column was I 
cannot say, but it extended over the hollow from 
hilltop to hilltop and some distance beyond in both 
directions. The odd feature about the ebon army’s 
evolutions was this: The vanguard had gone on far 
beyond the ravine, and was pushing over the oppo- 
site ridge, when there was a peculiar swaying move- 
ment near the centre directly above the hollow; 
then that part of the column dropped gracefully 
downward toward the trees below them; at the 
same moment those in the van swung lightly around 
to the right and returned, while the rear part of 
the column advanced rapidly, and then all swept 
grandly down into the tops of the tall trees in the 
ravine. It was a splendid military pageant, and 
might well start several queries in the interrogative 
mind. Where was the commander-in-chief of that 
sable- armyre Was he near the centre “of the 
column? If so, why should he station himself 
there instead of at the head? Again, how could 
the message to return be sent so speedily to the 
vanguard? Do birds employ some occult method 
of telegraphy? But these are questions more easily 
asked than answered ; for no one, so far as I know, 
has yet given special attention to the military tactics 
of the armies in feathers. 
It may be a somewhat abrupt transition from a 
