96 THE CARRION CROW. 



in the abundant growth of summer grass and 

 corn. 



The carrion crow is evidently gregarious at times, 

 in the autumnal and winter months : I have some- 

 times counted fifty of them together. Unlike the 

 rook, these birds never become bare of feathers at 

 the base of the bill. 



The vulgar remark, that a carrion crow can smell 

 gunpowder, ought to be received with explanation. 

 The natural wariness of this bird at most seasons of 

 the year, and the perpetual persecution it has to un- 

 dergo from man, are the causes of its keeping a very 

 sharp look-out; and it takes flight at the earliest 

 approach of the gunner; hence the surmise that it 

 smells the powder (which might certainly be smelled 

 after the discharge of the gun, provided the crow 

 were to leeward) ; but then the loud report would 

 cause it to take instant flight, and it would be far away 

 long before the scent from the burnt gunpowder 

 could have any chance of reaching its olfactory 

 nerves, though they were (and, for aught I know, 

 they are) as sensible as those of the vulture. 



I turn loose on the public, from my park, about 

 threescore carrion crows per annum ; which no, 

 doubt, are considered as a dangerous lot of rascals 

 by the good folks of this neighbourhood. 



I beg to say that I have written this paper ex- 

 pressly to calm the fears of sportsmen, who may 

 imagine that I do an evil deed in befriending a 

 tribe of birds hitherto considered, by common con- 

 sent, in no other light than that of plundering rogues 

 and vagabonds. If they will do me the honour to 



