64 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



autumn, are said to hide away food for future use, under 

 leaves in some secure place, and in holes of trees. They 

 are great egg-suckers also, and the nest of the missel thrush, 

 song thrush, and blackbird suffer greatly, both when they 

 have eggs and young ones. In the latter case many a furious 

 fight I have witnessed, and the gallant conduct and boldness 

 these birds exhibited in defence of their helpless brood was 

 truly astonishing, since they pursue the jay with unrelenting 

 fury, in and out of thickets where it would try to gain 

 shelter. Occasionally I have observed it succeed if there 

 were only one pair of birds defending ; but it often happens 

 that other pairs come to their assistance whose nests or 

 young ones are in the immediate neighbourhood, and these, 

 boldly and unitedly concerting together against a common 

 enemy, often drive it ignominiously away. The magpie is a 

 little better in service to humanity. 



Of these two, as of all the rest of the genus, I can only 

 say that in place and in reason they are a distinct gain to 

 our allies by covert and meadow. When they trespass they 

 trespass badly, worse indeed than the majority of birds ; but 

 of this I am certain, that all the crow kind within our four 

 seas do less harm to agriculture in the aggregate than a single 

 shower when the hay is down, or corn is ripe ; and much less 

 harm to game than a thunderstorm (or an inch of snow on 

 the high grounds), when grouse or partridge chicks have 

 grown too big and bulky to shelter under their mother's 

 wings. 



CROWS AND THEIR CAPTURE. 



A reasonable and philosophical view must indeed soon be 

 taken of the work done for mankind by the crow, the rook, 

 and their kindred. Were it otherwise, we should hesitate 

 before divulging any of those many and cunning secrets de- 

 vised for their destruction which a store of human enemies have 

 scattered through the pages of "Manuals "and "Treatises." 



