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 THE AMERICAN CROW. 



CORVUS AMERICANUS. 

 PLATE CLVI. Male. 



The Crow is an extremely shy bird, having found familiarity with 

 man no way to his advantage. He is also cunning — at least he is so call- 

 ed, because he takes care of himself and his brood. The state of anxiety, 

 I may say of terror, in which he is constantly kept, would be enough to 

 spoil the temper of any creature. Almost every person has an antipathy 

 to him, and scarcely one of his race would he left in the land, did he not 

 employ all his ingenuity, and take advantage of all liis experience, in 

 counteracting the evil machinations of his enemies. I think I see him 

 perched on the highest branch of a tree, watching every object around. 

 He observes a man on horseback travelling towards him ; he marks his 

 movements in silence. No gun does the rider carry, — no, that is clear ; 

 but perhaps he has pistols in the holsters of his saddle ! — of that the 

 Crow is not quite sure, as he cannot either see them or " smell powder." 

 He beats the points of his wings, jerks his tail once or twice, bows his head, 

 and merrily sounds the joy which he feels at the moment. Another man 

 he spies walking across the field towards his stand, but he has only a stick. 

 Yonder comes a boy shouldering a musket loaded with large shot for the 

 express purpose of killing crows ! The bird immediately sounds an alarm ; 

 he repeats his cries, increasing their vehemence the nearer his enemy ad- 

 vances, AU the crows within half a mile round are seen flying off', each 

 repeating the well known notes of the trusty watchman, who, just as the 

 young gunner is about to take aim, betakes himself to flight. But alas, 

 he chances unwittingly to pass over a sportsman, whose dexterity is great- 

 er ; the mischievous prowler aims his piece, fires ; — down towards the 

 earth broken-winged, falls the luckless bird in an instant, " It is nothing 

 but a crow," quoth the sportsman, who proceeds in search of game, and 

 leaves the poor creature to die in the most excruciating agonies. 



Wherever within the Union the laws encourage the destruction of 

 this species, it is shot in great numbers for the sake of the premium of- 

 fered for each crow's head. You will perhaps be surprised, reader, when 

 I tell you that in one single State, in the course of a season, 40,000 were 



