192 



OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



Although he never learned to talk, Jim 

 Crow learned a very good imitation of a 

 laugh. He would alight on any chance object 

 near the Naturalist and laugh heartily at the 

 slightest excuse. He seemed to have no under- 

 standing of the call of the wild crows that 

 came about the place, and could never seem to 

 know quite what to make of their noise when 

 they alighted in the trees and tried to scrape an 

 acquaintance. He laughed so much that he 

 was entitled to his name of "Jolly Jim Crow." 



However, some of his 

 pranks did not seem so 

 funny to the Naturalist. 

 One day he was feeding 

 with the hens, when he 

 pecked an old hen so 

 hard on the head, that 

 she reeled for a mo- 

 ment and then fell 

 dead. Jolly Jim 

 laughed very hard at 

 ^Ji this, and for a moment 



the N a t u r a 1 i s t was 

 tempted to wring his 

 neck. 



One morning the 



The boys decided that crows would be very good 

 subjects for observing on their own account. 



