AND RAVENS. 237 



are the raven, magpie, hooded or Royston crow, and 

 the carrion-crow, which is, in fact, a small raven ; but 

 the last two are so destructive that in some places a 

 price has been put upon their heads. The hooded crow 

 frequents marshes near the sea, and the banks of tidal 

 rivers, such as the Thames, where it may be seen within 

 a few miles of London. In the western isles of Scotland 

 flocks of five hundred may be seen in the month of June, 

 and, like the carrion-crow, feed on dead fish and refuse 

 of any kind, but also on living mollusks as cockles, 

 mussels, and the like, which they drop from a height, in 

 order to break their shells. 



Crows are widely distributed in most parts of the 

 world ; the raven being the most conspicuous member 

 of the tribe. It is widely known north of the equator, 

 and is protected in Bengal, and unmolested in Egypt. 

 It is an indiscriminate feeder, and while on the coast 

 it subsists on dead fishes, in the polar regions it follows 

 the herds of bison and reindeer, ready to take advantage 

 of any that may be disabled by accident, or killed by wild 

 beasts. No sooner has an animal been slaughtered by the 

 huntsman than crows arrive in numbers. It is also a constant 

 attendant at the fishing stations, and in North America, 

 where it abounds, it robs the hunters' traps ; and in the 

 United States, whenever the deer are hunted without 

 dogs it arrives to take part in the sport, and, not satisfied 

 with what rightfully falls to its share, obliges the huntsmen 

 to be very careful in concealing such game as they are 

 unable to remove from the woods, as its scent is very 

 keen. 



