40 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



there is something better to be done over there. He 

 is not selfish, and he calls a few comrades and they all 

 put themselves into position to await events. They 

 know very well the relation that exists between this 

 smoke and the prey they covet The fire indicated 

 by the smoke can have no other reason in this hot 

 country than the cooking of food. A Hindoo family 

 are in fact installed and preparing their repast The 

 birds see all this and observe. The Hindoos are 

 accustomed to throw outside the remains of their 

 meals, and the Anomalocorax, who have come together 

 from afar to await patiently this result, then throw 

 themselves on the quarry. (Jerdon.) 



Tennent narrates a singular trick which was twice, 

 to his knowledge, played on a dog by two of these 

 small glossy crows of Ceylon. The dog was gnawing a 

 bone and would not be disturbed from the pure delight 

 of sucking the marrow of which he was the legitimate 

 proprietor. A crow approached the scene of the 

 feast, and conceived the design of taking possession 

 of it ; he began by hopping around the dog, going 

 and coming, trying to attract the animal's attention 

 and ready to profit by the first distraction. His 

 gambols remaining without result, he understood that 

 he would not succeed and he flew away ; but it was 

 only to return accompanied by a friend possessing as 

 little respect as himself for the property of others. 

 The associate perched on a branch a few steps away, 

 while the first crow renewed his attempts by flying 

 around the bone and the dog; but the latter remained 

 impassive. Then the second personage, whose part 

 had hitherto been to remain contemplative, flew off 

 his branch, threw himself on the dog and gave him a 

 formidable blow on the spine. Seized with indigna- 



