Penfyhania, Philadelphia. 65 



many more paffengers, got over, before any- 

 more fhoals came on. As it began to freeze 

 very hard foon after the twelfth of 'January 

 (or New Tear, according to the old flyle) 

 the ri-er Delaware was covered with ice, 

 which by the intenfenefs of the fro ft grew 

 fo ftrong, that the people crofTed the river 

 with horfes at Philadelphia, The ice con- 

 tinued till the eighth of February, when it 

 began to get loofe, and the violent hurri- 

 cane, which happened that night, broke it, 

 and it was driven down fo faff, that on the 

 twelfth of February not a {ingle fhoal came 

 down, excepting a piece or two near the 

 fhore. 



Crows flew in great numbers together 

 to-day, and fettled on the tops of trees. 

 During the whole winter we hardly obferved 

 one, though they are faid to winter there. 

 During all this fpring they commonly ufed 

 to fit at the tops of trees in the morning; 

 yet not all together, but in feveral trees. 

 They belong to the noxious birds in this 

 part of the world, for they chiefly live upon 

 corn. After the maize is planted or fown, 

 they fcratch the grains out of the ground 

 and eat them. When the maize begins to 

 ripen, they peck a hole into the iiwolucrum 

 which furrounds the ear, by which means 

 the maize is fpoiled, as the rain paifes 

 Vol. II. E through 



