ITS PREDATORY HABITS. Ill 



Throughout the Plays we meet with frequent allusions 

 to the crow, and its partiality for carrion. In the fifth act 

 of Cymbeline a scene is laid in a field between the British 

 and Roman camps, where the following dialogue takes 

 place : 



" British Captain. Stand ! who's there ? 



Posthumns. A Roman, 



Who had not now been drooping here, if seconds 

 Had answer'd him. 



British Captain. Lay hands on him ; a dog ! 

 A leg of Rome shall not return to tell 

 What crows have peck'd them here." 



Cymbeline, Act. v. Sc. 3. 

 Again 



"Boy. Mine host Pistol, you must come to my 

 master, and you, hostess ; he is very sick, and would 

 to bed 



Host. By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding one 



of these days." 



Henry V. Act ii. Sc. I. 



The Duke of York, on the field of St. Albans, boasting 

 of his victory over Lord Clifford, says, in reply to the 

 Earl of Warwick : 



" The deadly-handed Clifford slew my steed, 

 But match to match I have encounter'd him, 



