KAVEX, CROW, MAGPIE, JAY, AND ROOK. 87 



ever, that these birds may as well have died so 

 as before our gims, we say ' No.' Will any 

 parent look upon the death of a child that dies 

 by the chances of war in the prime of life in 

 the same hght that he regards the death of one 

 killed by a wild beast in his cradle? And 

 again, if the grouse which Providence places 

 on our mountains are to be eaten at all, we 

 think we make a better use of them if they 

 are eaten, after being properly cooked, by our 

 friends, than if we allow them to be swallowed 

 in their infancy like oysters by ravens, just to 

 give them an appetite for their piece de resist- 

 ance^ the braxy sheep on which they will 

 probably dine before night. 



When we reflect that these birds are gifted 

 with keen powers of vision and great powers of 

 flight, that after the young leave the nest they 

 fly about in family parties with nothing to 

 do through the long summer days but seek 

 for food, we wonder that any grouse escape 

 them at all. The fact is that but few do 



