Intelligence of Crows 189 



times be found resorting to the rock, for roosting purposes, 

 in contiguity to a party of Ravens. I use the word 

 advisedly, for to say that they roosted " in company " might 

 be objected to as a terminological inexactitude. One ledge, 

 or one part of the rock, will always be occupied by the 

 Crows, another by the Ravens ; the latter, of course, having 

 first choice of position, and each being subject to slight 

 temporary alteration to meet the particular state of the 

 weather. It is just the same where Crows, and other 

 Corvidae, congregate with the Rooks to share roosting 

 quarters in a rookery. Each species will occupy its own 

 particular station. The Crows, or the Jackdaws, or the 

 Magpies, may each be surrounded by the more numerous 

 Rooks, but they will always be found assembled in their 

 own little coteries. The identical trees may scarcely be 

 fixed upon two nights in succession ; but the numbers of the 

 party will remain substantially the same throughout the 

 season, unless thinned by the keeper's gun, or his far more 

 deadly gins, and poisoned baits. 



Where the preservation of game is not the sole object of 

 life, few birds will better repay a close study of their habits 

 than the Crow. Its intelligence is remarkable, and scarcely 

 rivalled even by that of its relative, the Raven. jEsop's 

 fable of the crow, which, through vanity, was induced by 

 the fox to drop its bit of cheese, was certainly a gross libel 

 if it were intended to apply to Corvus corone ; or perhaps the 

 bird has made advances in education since those days ! Not 

 only is the Crow most careful not to drop the food which it 

 has carried to a tree, but it may be seen most ingeniously 

 balancing it upon a branch, and shifting its position until a 

 secure station has been attained. Furthermore, it seems to 

 understand precisely how high a dog can jump, or how far 

 his chain will reach, for I have watched one quietly discuss- 

 ing a stolen bone, within a few feet of the enraged former 

 owner, and utterly oblivious to all his barking. A tame 

 Crow will, also, sometimes lead cat, or poultry, a sorry 

 life. Except to the gamekeeper during summer, crows 

 are by no means to be regarded as useless, or altogether 

 harmful birds. Although hardly refusing any sort of 



