Crows 265 



in everything, and never lost an opportunity for 

 playing tricks upon the cat or the dog. The dog, which 

 was old and spent most of the time in lying about in 

 comfortable places fast asleep, had in his young days 

 the misfortune of losing about two-thirds of his tail, 

 leaving at the end a conspicuous bald spot. The 

 rogue of a crow never missed the opportunity of 

 giving this spot a vigorous peck whenever he found 

 the old dog enjoying sohd comfort. 



Jim spent a great deal of his time in the hayfield, 

 and as he would eat grasshoppers until he could 

 scarcely fly, he began to gain favor with the family, 

 which was very gratifying to his young master. Dur- 

 ing August, however, he sometimes visited the fields 

 where the wild crows were feeding, and soon new 

 traits of character began to develop. One day he 

 came home with a small blue egg shell and put it 

 .with'his curios in the woodhouse where he had passed 

 ■his early days. These curios were rather a motley 

 .collection — pieces of glass and broken dishes, a few 

 large buttons, and an old pair of eyeglasses. 



As time went on Jim became a well developed 

 specimen of the crow family. One Sunday morning 

 after the farmer had done his usual tasks, shaved, 

 taken the weekly paper, and seated himself in an 

 easy chair, he reached for his spectacles, which always 



