48 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



firmly remonstrated with by my friend with his 

 walking-stick, it dropped the fish and retreated in 

 high dudgeon beneath a stone in the bed of the 

 creek. The fish, with a swollen and angry throat, 

 went its way also. 



Birds, I say, have wonderfully keen eyes. Throw 

 a fresh bone or a piece of meat upon the snow in 

 winter, and see how soon the crows will discover it 

 and be on hand. If it be near the house or barn, 

 the crow that first discovers it will alight near it, to 

 make sure he is not deceived; then he will go away, 

 and soon return with a companion. The two alight 

 a few yards from the bone, and after some delay, 

 during which the vicinity is sharply scrutinized, one 

 of the crows advances boldly to within a few feet of 

 the coveted prize. Here he pauses, and if no trick 

 is discovered, and the meat be indeed meat, he seizes 

 it and makes off. 



One midwinter I cleared away the snow under an 

 apple-tree near the house and scattered some corn 

 there. I had not seen a blue jay for weeks, yet that 

 very day they found my corn, and after that they 

 came daily and partook of it, holding the kernels 

 under their feet upon the limbs of the trees and 

 pecking them vigorously. 



Of course the woodpecker and his kind have sharp 

 eyes, still I was surprised to see how quickly Downy 

 found out some bones that were placed in a conven- 

 ient place under the shed to be pounded up for the 

 hens. In going out to the barn I often disturbed 

 him making a meal off the bits of meat that stiU 

 adhered to them. 



