294 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



than the Kentish shores. Scaup-ducks get knocked 

 over on the mussel-scalps at times ; they generally 

 find their way to the bird-preservers. 



Food has much to do with a bird's reputation for 

 table purposes ; yet I have made experiments with 

 so-called carrion feeders for the table, and better 

 birds I have never eaten ; so that it is often only in 

 the idea of the thing. The hooded crow, dun crow, 

 Danish crow, the grey crow of the shore, the dun 

 crow of the shore-shooters, by all these names is 

 the hooded crow known in different localities, fol- 

 lows the sportsmen like their shadows, but at a safe 

 distance from gunshot. He is near cousin to Odin's 

 own bird, the raven. Like his larger relative, he is 

 wise, and he employs all his five wits for his own ben- 

 efit alone. Drifting to and fro up and down the edge 

 of the shore, circling high up over the beach and the 

 benty sand-hillocks, just to see if any one with a gun 

 is crouched in one of the countless hollows made by 

 the tide, he keeps watch all day long for a fowl that 

 may drop wounded out of sight. Where sand and 

 beach pebbles are hurled up, in all sorts of ridges, 

 hills, and hollows, there he hunts in the most deter- 

 mined manner. He heeds not any of the calls he 



