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BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND. 



IN marshalling our army of the feathered creation, 

 we have placed in the van a race of birds long bred to 

 rapine and war ; in the centre we have placed the slow 

 and heavy laden, that are usually brought into the 

 field to be destroyed ; and we now come to a kind of 

 light infantry, that partake something of the habits of 

 the two former, and yet do not properly belong to either. 



Under this class of birds we may arrange all that noisy, 

 restless, chattering, teasing tribe that lies between the 

 hen and the thrush ; that from the size of the raven, 

 down to the woodpecker, flutter round our habitations, 

 and make free with the fruits of human industry. 



Of all the numerous variety of birds this class seems 

 to be that which least contributes to the services of 

 man ; the falcon hunts for him ; the poultry tribe sup- 

 plies him with luxurious food ; and the little sparrow 

 race delight him with the melody of their warblings; 

 the crane kind make a studied variety in his entertain- 

 ments ; and the class of ducks are not only delicate in 

 their flesh, but extremely useful in their feathers ; but, 

 in the species of the pie kind, there are few except the 

 pigeon that can any way be considered as beneficial to 

 mankind, 



OF THE RAVEN, THE CROW, AND THEIR AFFI- 

 NITIES. 



The raven, the carrion-crow, and the rook, are birds 

 so completely known, that a prolix description of them 

 must be considered as superfluous. The raven is the 

 largest of the three, and distinguished from the rest, 

 npt Qnly by his size, but by his bill being somewhat 



