THE CROW 141 



string from a branch of the tree just over the 

 spot where I usually placed the food. A crow 

 soon discovered it, and came into the tree to 

 see what it meant. His suspicions were aroused. 

 There was some design in that suspended meat, 

 evidently. It was a trap to catch him. He sur- 

 veyed it from every near branch. He peeked and 

 pried, and was bent on penetrating the mystery. 

 He flew to the ground, and walked about and 

 surveyed it from all sides. Then he took a long 

 walk down about the vineyard as if 'in hope of 

 hitting upon some clew. Then he came to the 

 tree again, and tried first one eye, then the other, 

 upon it ; then to the ground beneath ; then he 

 went away and came back ; then his fellow came, 

 and they both squinted and investigated, and 

 then disappeared. Chickadees and woodpeckers 

 would alight upon the meat and peck it swinging 

 in the wind, but the crows were fearful. Does 

 this show reflection ? Perhaps it does, but I look 

 upon it rather as that instinct of fear and cun- 

 ning so characteristic of the crow. Two days 

 passed thus : every morning the crows came and 

 surveyed the suspended meat from all points in 

 the tree, and then went away. The third day I 

 placed a large bone on the snow beneath the sus- 

 pended morsel. Presently one of the crows ap- 

 peared in the tree, and bent his eye upon the 



