120 BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



very useful in gathering the scores during the 

 convivial meetings which sometimes met in the 

 evening at * The Ship.' If there were a dozen 

 persons present, Jim Crow would hop regularly 

 round, omitting no one, and receiving the score 

 from each respectively, pouch the money beneath 

 his tongue, return to his master, insert his black 

 and horny bill into the clenched hand of mine 

 host, and honestly deposit there every coin he had 

 collected. 



It might have been imagined the poor bird 

 could reason. The communication over the 

 Tweed, between Spital and Berwick, is kept up 

 by small steamers which cross the river repeatedly 

 during the hour. If his master were missing, 

 Jim Crow would fly down to the pier in order to 

 ascertain if he were on board ; and in that event 

 the rook would cross the river, and, no matter 

 where his owner went, he would be found flying 

 by his side, or settled on his shoulder. It 

 required no little ingenuity on the part of his 

 master to blink this personal attendance of his 

 devoted follower and companion. If he succeeded 

 occasionally, by suddenly turning a corner or 

 getting down an entry, the bird would fly up and 

 down the street, look anxiously around, and if he 

 could pop upon his lost proprietor his joy was 

 unbounded, and, lest another separation should 



