6 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



I have almost touched one with an umbrella and 

 seen another suddenly recollect an appointment to a 

 distant part of Calcutta on catching sight of a gun 

 in my verandah. That a Crow should know a guu 

 when he sees it, or that many birds should have a 

 working acquaintance with the range of that weapon, 

 is not so surprising a fact as might seem at first eight,, 

 for we must remember that birds have to learn by 

 experience the appearance of their different natural 

 enemies and the distance at which the proximity of 

 each one becomes dangerous. Our Crow will pull 

 at a kite's tail, or swoop on its back, out of pure 

 light-heartedness and mischief ; but he will not play 

 tricks of that kind with a falcon, though he makes no 

 secret of his hatred of the nobler bird. Similarly, 

 I have seen Crows mobbing a tree-civet or toddy-cat, 

 but although they made a great deal of noise, they 

 took care to keep well out of reach ; while with a dog 

 they will go so far, I am told, as to tell off one of the 

 fraternity to pull his tail when he is engaged with a 

 bone, so that when the aggrieved canine turns round 

 to snap, those in front can make off with his dinner. 

 And this I can readily believe, as I have seen exactly 

 the same trick played or attempted on a kite more 

 than once ; the Crows in the last cases I have observed 

 seemed undoubtedly to be pairs, which accounts for 

 their working together so well. No doubt the female 



