A NATURALIST. 1 1 7 



NO. XII. 



Had I succeeded in obtaining some living crows, they 

 were to be employed in the following manner. After 

 having made a sort of concealment of brushwood within 

 good gunshot distance, the crows were to be fastened by 

 their wings on their backs, between two pegs, yet not 

 so closely as to prevent them from fluttering or strug- 

 gling. The other crows, who are always very inquisi- 

 tive where their species is in any trouble, were expected 

 to settle down near the captives, and the latter would 

 certainly seize the first that came near enough with 

 their claws, and hold on pertinaciously. This would 

 have produced fighting and screaming in abundance, and 

 the whole flock might gradually be so drawn into the 

 fray, as to allow many opportunities of discharging the 

 guns upon them with full effect. This I have often ob- 

 served, that when a quarrel or fight took place in a 

 large flock or gang of crows, a circumstance by no 

 means infrequent, it seemed soon to extend to the whole, 

 and, during the continuance of their anger, all the usual 

 caution of their nature appeared to be forgotten, allowing 

 themselves at such times to be approached closely and re- 



