corvine. 301 



siderable speed, and exhibits wonderful activity and cleverness in 

 dodging its pursuer. The cunning, familiarity, and intelligence 

 of these birds is so great, that pages could be filled with anecdotes 

 about them, but my space forbids me to prolong this account. 

 Their great abundance and familiarity is one of the first objects 

 that strike the attention of the stranger on landing in India, and 

 they often enter rooms through open windows, and carry off food, 

 or any object that attracts them. With a very little encouragement 

 they may be induced to enter a room in numbers, and take food 

 almost from the hand. " About large towns," says Mr. Blyth, "they 

 walk and hop like domestic birds, just stepping aside out of the 

 way of the passers-by, and regardless of the ordinary throng ; but 

 they still retain all the craft and wariness of their tribe, and are 

 ever vigilant, making off on the least suspicious movement, or 

 even on the fixed glance of a stranger. Their noise is incessant, 

 and if any tiring, as the sight of a dead crow, excites them, is 

 most uproarious and annoying. Eager, bustling, and busy, their 

 flight is always singularly hurried, as if time were a matter of 

 some consequence to them ; and in short every trait of the Crow 

 tribe is prominently developed in this species. The report of a 

 gun excites a grand commotion among the community of crows ; 

 they circle and cross rapidly to and fro overhead, for the most 

 part out of range, cawing lustily, and dodging when the gun is 

 pointed at them, whilst others sit observantly on the neigbouring 

 house-tops, &c, all launching on the wing on the next discharge 

 with clamourous outcry, and then by degrees returning to their 

 place of observation." 



The Crow appears to possess the element of fun, for it may often 

 be seen, evidently in sport, to make a swoop at one of its own 

 kind, or some other bird, and then fly off, when it has alarmed 

 the bird, with loud caws of success at the joke. Many anecdotes 

 of the cunning of this Crow are to be found in the notes of Sykes, 

 Tickell, Burgess, Layard, and Philipps. 



A melanoid variety or race occurs throughout Burmah, south- 

 wards from Akyab, which Blyth is inclined to consider distinct. 

 Vide J. A. S., 1863, p. 76. 



