320 Bird - Lore 



get it was too strong to resist, but how, was the question. He strutted back and forth in 

 front of her, talking all the while in Crow language, but keeping well out of reach of her 

 claws. 



This plan not seeming to succeed, he resolved to try another. Quickly slipping behind 

 her, he seized her tail in his bill, pinching it till the poor cat released the mouse, and 

 angrily turned to strike at him. Jim was too quick for her, however, and, with the mouse 

 in his possession, flew to a nearby tree, where he sat and watched the disgusted-looking 

 cat below him. 



Like other Crows, Jim was interested in certain branches of agriculture, but, unlike 

 them, he turned his attention to the onion bed, watching carefully the putting out of a 

 large bed of onions sets, — but that was not all ! As father put out row after row, Jim 

 was following quietly behind him, pulling out set after set, so that when father turned to 

 look at his work, every set lay on top of the ground. As this was the first offense of its 

 kind, it was overlooked, and after Jim was driven away, the onion sets were again put in 

 the ground as before. Several days later, when father went to look at his onion bed, he 

 found the sets up, nicely piled in little heaps on the top of the bed. 



This was too much for the patience of any man to endure, and Jim was condemned 

 to death, but so strong a plea for his life was made, that the sentence was changed to 

 imprisonment until the garden was well started. 



These were only a few of his many pranks, and yet Jim did not spend all of his time 

 in mischief. 



He was an accomplished mimic. He would say "hello" so plainly and laugh so much 

 like a person as to deceive anyone. His imitation of the cackle of a hen was so perfect 

 that he deceived some of the family who hunted in the woodshed, from which the sound 

 came, to find a nest. No nest was there, but finally Jim was caught at his joke, and 

 upon being discovered, showed his appreciation of it by giving a loud "ha! ha!" 



In only one attempt as an imitator was Jim a failure. In his case, the motto "Keeping 

 everlastingly at it, brings success," did not prove true, for he did his best to gobble like 

 a Turkey, though in vain. I have seen him, an hour at a time, follow the Turkeys about, 

 trying to learn how to gobble, but he never succeeded in adding this to his list of accom- 

 plishments. 



In the early part of the second winter of his stay with me, Jim met with a misfortune, 

 which seemed to sober him and cause him to lose many of his bright, cute ways. One 

 day he failed to appear, and he was found on the hill, caught in a rabbit trap, one leg 

 nearly severed. Not a few tears were shed, for fear he would die, but with care, the 

 wound healed, and Jim, though a cripple, still followed me about. 



The next spring, however, Jim disappeared, and in spite of all our efforts, he could not 

 be found, but in a few days we learned his fate. He had been found in another trap, by 

 a trapper, who mercifully ended his suffering. 



So because of my affection for this member of the Crow family, I cannot help but 

 have charity for others, regardless of the questionable traits which they possess. 



This is a true account in every detail. I am sorry I have no photos to illustrate some 

 of the amusing incidents. — Mildred H. Murphy, Treadwell, N. Y. 



[If birds are kept as pets, as in this case, it is wise to select a species like the Crow, 

 whose habits cannot be too thoroughly investigated. Personal experiences with the 

 clever and highly intelligent Crow prove more conclusively than argument the value of 

 intimate study of this much-discussed and too often misunderstood bird. In this con- 

 nection look up the bulletins on the Crow published by the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. — 

 A. H. W.] 



