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On the Australian Piping C row.



Peter can talk well, but he is somewhat chary of his words.

He whistles well, but I fear his ear is a trifle defective. He

reminds me of a character in “ Diplomacy,” he cannot tell the

difference between “ Pop goes the King ” and “ God save the

Weasel.” Crows live to a great age, and Peter will have eternity

to learn “ Pop goes, etc.,” it has already taken two years to teach it

him ! ! and he sings it in the most melancholy way as if he thought

he was at a Band of Hope meeting and he wanted to burst into

tears over it.


I think Lewis Carrol would have loved Peter. A spider’s

web waving on the ceiling distresses him. He thinks it looks so

lonely! and he wails over a meal-worm in the most heart-broken

way. I am sure he is genuinely sorry to have to put it to death.

Yet is he a bird of fine courage and only afraid of two things—

an umbrella and a nice red carrot. Why in the world he should be

afraid of the latter article I can't think.


I read some time ago an article on the Piping Crow by Mr.

Farrar. His views and mine are quite opposed. I quote some

extracts—“ They (Piping Crows) are very strong and mischievous

“ and require a big strong enclosure, to keep them in ordinary wire

“ netting is no good as they take a devilish delight in unwinding it

“ with their massive beaks, only strong iron rods can puzzle them.

“ They can even chisel through a good thick plank.”


“ They are smelly; bite confoundedly ; and those who handle

“ them should wear leather gloves,” etc.


So experienced an aviculturist as Mr. Farrar must, of course ?

be familiar with my old friend the Australian Magpie, but I confess

his description of the bird swallowing a mouse whole, eating dog

biscuit voraciously, almost devouring the plate, and so on, makes me

rub my eyes and wonder what manner of birds he possessed to

perform these feats.


My Crows eat mice, not whole, but bit by bit, raw meat

is taken in quite tiny pieces, a dead Waxbill is devoured slowly and

in fragments, etc. But, of course, my birds may have perfect table

manners, still I think it would puzzle any Crow to swallow a mouse,

full grown, at one gulp ! At any rate I have never seen it done.


My birds are kept in large box cages (I have even kept one or



