244 KRIDER'S SPORTING ANECDOTES. 



killed the former but a few feet behind the lat- 

 ter, which, but for the timely rescue, must 

 inevitably have become its prey.* 



Taking out the dogs during the past winter, 

 they pointed a single crow, which being busily 

 engaged in digging some object from the ground, 

 allowed us to come within ten yards of it, al- 

 though we had a gun in our hands at the time, 

 which circumstance, gentle reader, while it 

 rather invalidates the popular notion that the 

 crow is able to scent powder, shows that the 

 eye of the bird was fully engaged with the ob- 

 ject on the ground, and did not in reality see us 

 or the dogs, until its attention was attracted by 

 the sound of our approach. The study of the 

 vision of birds is one of the most beautiful and 

 interesting departments of natural history ; with 

 the exception of that of flying, perhaps, the 



* When we first noticed the hawk, it was some distance down 

 the wind in the act of darting upon the pigeon, which it missed. 

 The pursuit was then continued, both parties beating to windward 

 by short tacks, the pigeon occasionally putting about with great 

 adroitness when hard pressed, and gradually nearing the barn, as 

 the one redoubled its exertions to come up, and the other to escape, 

 until when fairly within shot, we decided the matter at the very 

 moment that the piratical cruiser of air was gaining on the chase, 

 as the sailors say, hand over hand. The pigeon alit upon the 

 roof of the barn, and as if sensible of its narrow escape, remained 

 perfectly quiet for a considerable time. 



