THE CROW. 



lOI 



on liis shoulder! He at once recognized his old 

 friend, and spoke to it as he had been in the 

 habit oE doing. The Crow cawed in return, but 

 kept carefully beyond reach of iiis liand : sliovv_ 

 ing that, having enjoyed a free existence, it did 

 not intend to submit again to captivity. 



A few more caws were uttered. Its compan- 

 ions cawed likewise, and the Crow understood 

 their call. Probably its mate, and perhaps its 

 young ones, were among tliem. Glancing to- 

 wards them, and witli a farewell caw at its old 

 master, it spread its wings and joined the flock ; 

 nor did it ever again return to its former abode. 



Crows sometimes display great reasoning 

 powers, and act in a way tliat would do credit to 

 human beings, as the following anecdote will il- 

 lustrate : 



In places where Pheasants are preserved it is 

 customary to give them their food in such a way 

 that other birds can not get at it. This is done 

 by placing it in a feeding-box, which is closed by 

 a lid, communicating by a lever with a perch. 



Tiie weight of the lid is so adjusted that when a 

 Pheasant stands on the perch the lid is raised, 

 and the bird can get at the food. 



The Pheasant soon learns the object of the 

 perch, for, when the boxes are first introduced, a 

 few beans are laid on the outside of the lid. The 

 bird gets on tlie perch in order to reach them, 

 and so exposes the stores of food in the box. 



Such an arrangement is made at Mountquhar- 

 rie, Cupar, Fife ; and one day a gentleman was 

 watching tiie Pheasants and their boxes on the 

 lawn just before the house, and saw a Crow also 

 watching them. Presently the Crow flew to one 

 of the boxes, settled upon the perch, and ex- 

 pected the box to open. The bird, however, 

 being: much lighter than a Pheasant, was unable 

 to lift the lid in spite of all its efforts. After 

 several ineffectual attempts it flew off to a tree 

 where there was another Crow, and a gran4 jal)- 

 beriiig ensued. The two Crows then flew to the 

 feeding-box, both settled on tlie perch, and tlieir 

 united weight was sufficient to raise the lid. 



