t) THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



instance I made sure of this from the forbearing behaviour 

 of the Crow which had snatched the bone of contention^ 

 which he was able to do before any tail- pulling had 

 taken place. I have alluded to the Crows annoying kites 

 by way of recreation, and there is no doubt whatever that 

 this is the object, just as they seem to take pleasure in 

 letting a man come as near them as is consistent with 

 safety But they seem also to have regular games ; at 

 any rate I cannot otherwise account for the habit they 

 have of assembling in the evening and playing what looks 

 very like ''I'm the king of the castle " on the Museum 

 lightning-conductors, for the spiky top of these rods is not 

 a pleasant seat for a Crow ; and yet they are constantly 

 trying to sit on them at this time. 



The Crow on the whole must have a very happy life. 

 He cannot want for food, for in addition to his natural 

 prey of carrion and insects, he can pick up or steal all 

 sorts of remnants of man's food; which makes it the more 

 remarkable that his feeding habits are at times so unspeak- 

 ably nasty. His enemies, outside man, who does not 

 often get a chance at him, are few ; and that the struggle 

 for existence does not press him very hard seems obvious 

 from the fact that he always has plenty of time to spare 

 in annoying other creatures, from men to lizards. I have 

 heaj-d of a Crow watching one of those reptiles laying 

 and 1 eating up the eggs one by one ! He is indeed a ter- 

 rible pest to anything that is weak and helpless, though 

 he often meets his match in a most unexpected way. I 

 have seen him soundly beaten by the little spotted 

 (Jove about the last adversary one would expect him 



