BIRD PARADISE 251 



wonder if other great flocks have place in our 

 Northern country. Of course there is room for 

 them and doubtless they fill that room. The 

 crow is a sort of nondescript among the birds. 

 I have noticed that he is quite apt to do what we 

 do not expect him to do. In fact that seems to 

 be the upshot of most of his action with his fel- 

 lows. To all appearance he enjoys a real sally 

 of wit with the keenest zest. When he is off 

 guard all his movements savor of a drollery that 

 is most amusing. Nothing that he enjoys more 

 than poking that long bill of his into the busi- 

 ness of all his fellows and he is sure to do it if he 

 has half a chance. I have watched them getting 

 settled in their roosting place for the night. No 

 minstrel show was ever more amusing. They 

 are all end men, and I often feel that most of the 

 noise they make is genuine laughter. No crea- 

 ture that I know is more given to the convivial 

 than the crow. If matters are favorable he eats 

 most of the time. The coverts of the grass are 

 stored with his principal food and he enjoys it 

 all with true crow gusto. How the fellow keeps 

 the fires of life burning on some of our zero 

 nights is a mystery to the parson. Think of that 

 bedchamber on the bare limb of a great tree, 

 the winds tossing the limb and ruffling Mr. 



