The Crow Tribe. 27 



were being cleaned out. The dog would run at them, 

 and they would fly a few yards, and entice him on and 

 on by appearing to escape him only by an inch, till 

 they had drawn him a considerable distance from the 

 ship, when they would fly back, and devour the scraps 

 before the dog had time to get there. They seemed 

 to enjoy outwitting him exceedingly ; and Ravens and 

 other cunning birds, such as Jackdaws and Magpies, 

 certainly appear to have the power of appreciating 

 mischief, and will often do mischief for mischief's sake. 

 A tame Raven which was kept by a friend of my 

 brother's used to lay plots to catch the dog, and dis- 

 played considerable ingenuity in enticing him into 

 situations where he could peck him with impunity. 

 This bird did so much mischief at liberty, that at 

 length he was confined in a large cage, and even here 

 he seemed to take great pleasure in enticing the dog 

 into dangerous proximity to his cage, by putting a 

 bone close to the bars, and pretending to turn away 

 from it, being all the time lying in wait to pounce upon 

 the marauder as soon as he came within his reach. 

 One morning in the summer my brother, who was 

 sleeping in a room near the Raven's cage, was aroused 

 very early by an extraordinary noise proceeding from 

 it, and on going to the window to investigate the cause, 

 he found that a wild Raven was perched upon the cage 

 of the tame one, and was talking in Raven language, 

 while the other bird replied in all the tongues which 



