CROWS 57 



about one whenever there is any food in evidence. 

 Even when they are habitually fed they very rarely 

 show any signs of real tameness or gratitude, but, 

 like common sparrows, take their benefactions as 

 though they were stealing, and had a profound 

 contempt for the donor as an easy victim to their 

 predatory craft. At one time I used to feed a 

 great troop of them every morning and evening; 

 but, although they so fully identified me as a 

 source of supply that they never assembled for 

 their daily dole whilst I was absent from Calcutta, 

 and immediately resumed attendance on my return, 

 only two out of the whole throng ever ventured to 

 take anything directly from my hands. They were 

 very proud of themselves for doing so, and used 

 to alight close to me, one on either side on the 

 top of the railings of a flight of steps leading down 

 from the verandah to a long terrace-roof a little 

 below. There they would wait in dignified com- 

 posure, never condescending to join the noisy 

 scuffling of their companions. As a reward for 

 their civilised behaviour they were usually treated to 

 a biscuit each, in place of the scraps of bread that 

 were thrown to the mob, and used to wait quite 

 composedly whilst their friends were struggling for 

 the inferior diet, in full confidence that their turn 

 would arrive with the end of the vulgar entertain- 

 ment. So fully persuaded were they that they 

 would eventually be treated with distinction that 



