240 



Crofo^arys 



about that old hemlock than one would 

 believe existed within miles of the place. I 

 counted over seventy, one day, immediately 

 about a tree in which one of them had found 

 an owl ; and I think there must have been 

 as many more flying about the outskirts that 

 I could not count. 



At such times one can approach very near, 

 with a little care ; for whenever an owl is dis- 

 covered the crows forget to post their usual 

 sentinels. Creeping through the underbrush 

 you find yourself suddenly in the midst of a 

 tremendous excitement. The crows nearest 

 the owl sit about in the trees cawing all at 

 once ; not a crow is silent. Those on the 

 outskirts are flying rapidly about and mak- 

 ing, if possible, more noise than the inner 

 ring. The owl meanwhile sits blinking and 

 staring, out of sight in the green top. Every 

 moment two or three crows leave the ring to 

 fly up close and peep in at him, and then go 

 screaming back again to their perches, where 

 they hop about, cawing, nodding their heads, 

 striking the branches, and acting for all the 

 world like excited stump speakers. 



