no IN THE GREEN LEAF 



the crow family did their thieving in a sort 

 of happy-go-lucky fashion, matters would not 

 be so serious. The worst of it is, they plan 

 for it. Call it what you will instinct or 

 reason the fact remains. If a crow catches 

 sight of any trinket, no matter what, and is not 

 able to get it at the time, a mental note is 

 made, and the thief will come for it next day, 

 or it may be a week afterwards. The hiding- 

 place is picked out beforehand, so that if the 

 bird is fortunate enough to get the coveted 

 article, it is carried off and covered up before 

 you could count forty. 



No raven, crow, rook, or jackdaw should 

 ever be at large in or about any house of mine, 

 dear lover of birds though I am. As to the 

 magpie, I would not suffer him for any price. 

 Some birds are credited with far more clever- 

 ness than they really possess, others, again, 

 are far more clever than they are supposed 

 to be. 



One good quality the crow has that of 

 rising early ; but just to -counteract this he 

 goes to bed to roost late ; for he is about 

 some time after his dark form is no longer 

 discernible in the woodland meadows. Like 

 some others he can, I know, be seen now in 



