THE CROW. 11 



I f eai, indeed, that things are made too easy f oi him, 

 for he is no doubt a deadly enemy to many smaller 

 and more attractive birds, besides being a great 

 nuisance to ourselves by his noise and pilfering, in 

 which latter pursuit he will become appallingly 

 impudent. When I used to encourage Crows, I 

 remember one coming into my room after chota-hazri, 

 taking a couple of mouthiuls out of the butter on 

 my plate, and staying to wipe his beak on a pamphlet 

 that lay handy before he sought the top of the jillmiU ! 

 When you give him an inch he will take an ell, and 

 my pohcy towards the Crows was one of war to the 

 knife, for I think one pair to a compound is a fair 

 working average. The Crows knew it, too, I think^ 

 for I was not popular with them ; but for all that 

 I would be the last to advocate the entire extermi- 

 nation of such a poUshed scoundrel as Corvus splendent. 



