24G 



^0UT1I AMKlilCAN IJIKDS. 



fog so dense and iini>eiietrablc tluit it was hardly jjossihle to distin^'uisli ob- 

 jects across its streets, Mr. Cassia's attention Wiis called to an inunense 

 accumulation of these birds in Independence Sjuare. The wIkjIc park he 

 found, to liis utter astonishment, occupied l»y an immense army of Crows. 

 They tilkMl all the trees, bendinj; down the overloaded branches, and swarmed 

 over and covered tlie ^'roinid. The entire sjjace seemed alive with Crows. 

 They hatl evidi'Utly hecome bewildered in the fo^% and had stran<j;ely taken 

 rrlu^'c in this small ]tark in the very heart of rhiladel}»hia. As it aware of 

 their close proximity to danger, the whole assembly was (piiet, orderly, and 

 silent. A few binls, evidently actinj^ as leaders, moved noi.selessly hack and 

 forth throu^^di their ranks, as if givin,^^ tacit signals. ThcvSe movements were 

 followed by the departure of a few scouts, as if sent to make explorations, 

 but they soon returned unsuccessful. Again were repeated the uneasy 

 movements of their leaders, jmssing slowly Pud cautiously through their 

 close ranks. After an apparently much longer consultation, another small 

 party ascended to exphue, wheeling round and round in wider and wider 

 zones. At length, satistie«l with their observations, they ([uietly returned, 

 and made their rei)ort in a manner evidently understood, though not audibly 

 expres.sed ; for immediately the leaders passed again among the crowd, and, 

 as if signals were given for a general movement, the whole of this immense 

 congregation, nund>ering, ^fr. (.'assin estimated, hundreds of thousands, rose 

 slowly and silently, prt^ceded by their scouts, and, moving otf in a westerly 

 direction, were soon lost to view. 



When taken young, the Crow can be easily domesticated, an<l becomes a 

 very entertaining, but a \ery mischievous pet. It is very secretive, hiding 

 objects of no value to itself, and seems to delight in mischief It disi)lays 

 often a wonderful intelligence, a])])ears to understand and to obey certain 

 directions, and manifests also remarkable ([uickness of vision. A tame Crow 

 belonging to a family resident near ]>oston, and permitted to go at large, 

 manifested all the attachment of a dog. It especially enjoyed the society 

 of the children, and played with them in their games of hide and seek, sur- 

 passing them l)y its readiness in finding the secreted olject. It was es- 

 pecially attached to the mistress of the house, flying to her whenever she 

 approached, hovering over her head, and alighting on her shoulder. 



In a few instances the Crow has been taught to imitate articulate sounds. 

 In one of these, in Grafton.. Mass., the Crow not only vociferated a single 

 monosyllable repeatedly, but at other times enunciated a short sentence of 

 five syllables. 



A few are resident in Massachusetts during the year, but the greater j)or- 

 tion move south in Xo\ember and return in March. Those who remain 

 during the winter are chiefly resident near the sea-shore. The Crow breeds 

 from April to June, varying with the latitude of its residence. In Massa- 

 chusetts it has full-gro\vTi young by June 1. It builds, usually in March, a 

 large rudely constructed nest of sticks, moss, and bark, lined with finer 



