That crows do play at hide-and-seek, and 

 other games without a name, becomes more 

 and more evident to one who follows and 

 watches them. Here is a curious bit of play- 

 that I discovered one September afternoon 

 when a vigorous cawing over in the woods 

 induced me to leave the orchard, where I 

 was picking apples, for the more exciting 

 occupation of spying on my dark neighbors. 



The clamor came from an old deserted 

 pasture, bounded on three sides by pine 

 woods, and on the fourth by half-wild fields 

 that straggled away to the dusty road beyond. 

 Once, long ago, there was a farm here ; but 

 even the cellars have disappeared, and the 

 crows no longer fear the place. 



It was an easy task to creep unobserved 

 through the nearest pine grove, and gain a 

 safe hiding place under some junipers, on the 

 edge of the old pasture. The cawing mean- 

 while was intermittent ; at times it broke out 

 in a perfect babel, as if every crow were doing 

 his best to outcaw all the others ; again there 

 was silence save for an occasional short note, 

 — the all 's well of the sentinel on guard. 



249 

 Croai-tO&ys 



H 



