THE CEOW 



THE crow may not have the sweet voice which 

 the fox in his flattery attributed to him, but he 

 has a good, strong, native speech nevertheless. 

 How much character there is in it ! How much 

 thrift and independence ! Of course his plumage 

 is firm, his color decided, his wit quick. He un- 

 derstands you at once and tells you so ; so does 

 the hawk by his scornful, defiant whir-r-r-r-r. 

 Hardy, happy outlaws, the crows, how I love 

 them ! Alert, social, republican, always able to 

 look out for himself, not afraid of the cold and 

 the snow, fishing when flesh is scarce, and steal- 

 ing when other resources fail, the crow is a 

 character I would not willingly miss from the 

 landscape. I love to see his track in the snow or 

 the mud, and his graceful pedestrianism about 

 the brown fields. 



He is no interloper, but has the air and man- 

 ner of being thoroughly at home, and in right- 

 ful possession of the land. He is no sentimental- 

 ist like some of the plaining, disconsolate song- 

 birds, but apparently is always in good health 

 and good spirits. No matter who is sick, or de- 

 jected, or unsatisfied, or what the weather is, or 



