8 THE CARRION CROW. 



learns to open the door by alighting on the latch ; attends regu- 

 larly at the stated hours of dinner and breakfast, which he appears 

 punctually to recollect ; is extremely noisy and loquacious ; imi- 

 tates the sound of various words pretty distinctly ; is a great 

 thief and hoarder of curiosities hiding in holes, corners, and 

 crevices every loose article he can carry off, particularly small 

 pieces of metal, corn, bread, and food of all kinds ; is fond of the 

 society of his master, and will know him even after a long ab- 

 sence, of which the following is a remarkable instance, and may 

 be relied on as a fact : A very worthy gentleman, now (1811) 

 living in the Gennesee country, but who, at the time alluded to, 

 resided on the Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had raised a 

 Crow, with whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse 

 himself. This Crow lived long in the family ; but at length dis- 

 appeared, having, as was then supposed, been shot by some 

 vagrant gunner, or destroyed by accident. About eleven months 

 after this, as the gentleman, one morning, in company with seve- 

 ral others, was standing on the river-shore, a number of Crows 

 happening to pass by, one of them left the flock, and flying 

 directly towards the company, alighted on the gentleman'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 

 recognised his old acquaintance, and endeavoured, by several 

 civil, but sly manoeuvres, 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 

 into the air after them, soon overtook and mingled with them, 

 and was never afterwards seen to return." 



We have said that the Crow is a bold and mischievous bird ; 

 leverets and young rabbits are frequently destroyed by it, and 

 sometimes even weak lambs : in the preserve and the dove-cote, 

 and the poultry-yard, it at times does considerable mischief. 

 YARRELL relates that " a Carrion Crow was observed to steal a 

 young duck, which it pounced upon while in a pond, and carried 

 it off in his bill. The Crow did not drop the duck in order to kill 

 it, but laid it down on the ground, walking backwards and for- 

 wards, and treading upon it until it was dead." Another ob- 

 server states, " That while looking at an old Sparrow enticing 

 forth its young ones, a Crow pounced upon it, held it between its 

 claws, and instantly tore it in pieces as would a bird of prey." 



HARRISON AINS WORTH, in his Rookwood, gives a song of the 

 Carrion Crow, so full of spirit and character, that we are disposed 

 to quote it 



