CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 2. PASSERES. 



201 



crow, with whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse himself. This crow lived long 

 in the family, hut at length disappeared, having, as was then supposed, been shot hy some vao-rant 

 gunner, or destroyed by accident. About eleven months after this, as the gentleman one morn- 

 ing, in company with several others, was standing on the river-shore, a number of crows happen- 

 ing to pass by, one of them left the flock, and flying directly toward the company, alighted on the 

 o-entleman's shoulder, and began to gabble away with great volubility, as one long absent friend 

 naturally enough does on meeting with another. On recovering from his surprise, the gentleman 

 instantly recognized his old acquaintance, and endeavored, by several civil but sly maneuvers, to 

 lay hold of him ; but the crow, not altogether relishing quite so much familiarity, having now 

 had a taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously eluded all his attempts, and suddenly glancing his 

 eye on his distant companions, mounted in the air after them, soon overtook and mingled with 

 them, and was never afterward seen to return." 



The Fish-Crow, C. ossifrayus, is sixteen inches long, black, builds on tall trees; eggs four or 

 five. It haunts the borders of rivers and sea-coasts, and feeds on dead as well as living fish, water- 

 lizards, &c. ; it is found often in flocks along the sea-shore from Georgia to New Jersey, and 

 breeds in the latter state. It is less suspicious than other crows, and sometimes becomes familiar 

 near the farms, hopping up on the backs of cattle to feed on the parasitic insects. It attends on 

 the fisheries of New Jersey and the shad-fisheries of the Delaware to devour the oftal. It is 

 often confounded with the common crow, but may be distinguished on examination, as it is some- 

 what smaller, and has the chin naked. Other American species of crow are the White-xecked 

 Crow, C. cryptoleucus^ of the country of the Rio Grande and Gila; and the Nouthwesterx Fish- 

 Crow, C. caurinus^ of Washington Territory. 



The Hooded Crow, C. comix — Corbeau manteU of the French, and called in England by the 

 various names of the Royston-Crow^ Gray-hacked Crow, Dun Crmi\ Btintiny-Croio, and Hoody- 

 Crow — resembles the preceding in character and habits, though it is said to be more mischievous. 

 It is twenty inches long ; the general color shiny black ; nape of the neck, back, rump, and under 

 surface of the body a smoke-gray. Its voice is more shrill than that of the common crow, but it 

 lives on the same food, except when near the sea it devours sand-worms, shell-fish, and other ma- 

 rine productions. It is exceedingly intelligent, and when it wishes to break a cockle or mussel 

 shell, it will soar into the air and drop it on a rock, and thus get at the flesh. Many other curi- 

 ous instances of the sagacity of this bird are related. It is found all over Europe, and in some 

 places is very numerous. Sometimes common crows are seen mingled with them ; indeed, these 

 two species are said occasionally to breed together, but whether the hybrid product is prolific is 

 not determined. 



THE ROOK. 



The Rook, C.frugilegus, is nineteen inches long, and greatly resembles the common crow, the 

 whole plumage being black, glossed with purple ; "white, pied, and cream-colored varieties some- 

 Vol. II. — 26 



