THE CROW 143 



high grassy hill or a wooded ridge. Apparently, 

 all the crows from a large area assemble at these 

 times ; you may see them coming, singly or in 

 loose bands, from all directions to the rendezvous, 

 till there are hundreds of them together. They 

 make black an acre or two of ground. At inter- 

 vals they all rise in the air, and wheel about, aU 

 cawing at once. Then to the ground again, or to 

 the tree-tops, as the case may be ; then, rising 

 again, they send forth the voice of the multitude. 

 What does it all mean? I notice that this rally 

 is always preliminary to their going into winter 

 quarters. It would be interesting to know just 

 the nature of the communication that takes place 

 between them. 



