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Craws: A Country Rhyme. Comraunicated by James 

 Smail, Edinburgh. 



Late and early flee the craws : 

 On the wing as morning daws, 

 Ceasing only in their flight 

 When the gloamin' meets the night. 

 Watchers o' the earth and sky, 

 Coming changes they descry : 

 Every watchfu' shepherd knaws 

 His best weatherglass the craws. 



When at morn thej' seek the shore 

 Landward storms will rage and roar; 

 When they seek the lily lee 

 Fair and lown the day will be ; 

 When they roost in upland heather 

 Steady is the summer weather ; 

 When they search the wheatland vast 

 Worm and weevil perish fast ; 

 When on stubble close they gather 

 Wi' the morn comes nippy weather ; 

 When they skim the muirs in snaw 

 Frost will soon gie way to thaw ; 

 When in crowd they skyward soar, 

 Wheel and sail in great uproar, 

 Jerrin', cheerin' without stint, 

 They but baud their parliament, 

 And uphaud their ancient laws : 

 Steadfast is the House o' Craws. 



