NATURE AND HER HARMONIES. 25 



Unless he plead ignorance, surely he ought to be found 

 guilty at the bar of common sense. Were the soil of the 

 United States like that of some other countries, nearly ex- 

 hausted by long-continued cultivation, human selfishness 

 in such a matter might be excused, and our people might 

 look on our crows as other people look on theirs ; but every 

 individual in the land is aware of the superabundance of 

 food that exists among us, and of which a portion may well 

 be spared for the feathered beings that tend to enhance our 

 pleasures by the sweetness of their song the innocence of 

 their lives or their curious habits* Did not every American 

 open his door and his heart to the wearied traveller, and af- 

 ford him food, comfort and rest, I would at once give up the 

 argument ; but when I know by experience, the generosity 

 of the people, I cannot but wish that they would reflect a 

 little, and become more indulgent towards our poor, humble, 

 harmless, and ever most serviceable bird the crow !" 



A crow-roost is one of the most singular places that ever 

 mortal found himself in. Mr. Audubon speaks of their 

 roosting by the " margins of ponds, lakes and rivers, upon 

 the rank weeds and cat-tails," but I met them while hunt- 

 ing among the hills of the Green Eiver country, Kentucky, 

 roosting in a very different manner. I saw them stream- 

 ing over my head, in great numbers, one evening, and hear- 

 ing a most unusual noise in the direction they all seemed to 

 pursue, my curiosity induced me to follow on, and see what 

 it meant. As I advanced, the sound grew in volume, until 

 at last, as I rounded the abrupt angle of a hill side, covered 

 with a tall growth of young black oaks, it burst upon me 

 with a commingled roar of barking notes and beating wings, 

 that was positively stunning. All around for the space of 

 half an acre, the cracking- trees were bent beneath multiplied 

 thousands of crows, shifting and flapping, with unceasing 

 movement ; every one screaming his vociferous caw in bois- 

 terous emulation. It resembled a pigeon-roost very closely, 

 except that it was not so extensive or grand ; and it differed, 



