2o6 BIRD PARADISE 



one showing its dusky form during the time. 

 The movement they make is not a necessity from 

 lack of food, or stress of weather. It may have 

 place through the desire for a greater variety of 

 daily bread or it may be an outcome of the fel- 

 low's love of adventure. Why not a North Pole 

 in the crow world and why not many a Cook and 

 Peary vieing in the strife to discover all there is 

 to discover ? As I know the crow character, it 

 has many curious traits and perhaps the love of 

 adventure is not lacking in the list. I feel quite 

 sure that there are times in the fellow's experi- 

 ence when he indulges in a kind of droUery that 

 might well be termed North Pole humor. At 

 any rate it seems to have very little warmth in 

 it. I sometimes cherish the notion that the crow 

 host is marshaled — especially in the winter sea- 

 son — by a leader that uses his authority accord- 

 ing to a code of laws peculiar to the dusky army. 

 Even among the smaller flocks there are indica- 

 tions that lead one to conclude that many of their 

 movements are shaped by one in command. 

 They never leave their movements unguarded. 

 I have verified this repeatedly. "Wherever a 

 flock of crows has assembled some prominent 

 outlook is occupied by their scouts. The ap- 

 proach of an enemy is announced by loud calls, 



