246° The Heron Robbed. [CHAP. XIII. 
being observed by his opponents, they quickly followed it. 
In their descent, they fell a fighting with each other. The 
consequence was that the eel, falling to the ground, was set 
upon by the magpies. The crows gave up fighting, descend- 
ed to the ground, and assailed the magpies. The latter were 
soon repulsed. Then the crows seized hold of the eel with 
their bills, and kept pulling at it until eventually it broke in 
two. Each kept hold of its portion, when they shortly rose 
up and flew away among the trees. In the mean time, the 
heron was observed winging his way in the distance; sick 
at heart, because he had been plundered by thieves, and 
robbed of the food which he had intended for his fam- 
ily.” 
The carrion and hooded crows also attack hares and 
rabbits. “ While walking one morning along the Deveron 
with a friend, our attention was attracted by what seemed 
to us to be the faint cries of a child in distress. On look- 
ing in the direction from which the sounds proceeded, we 
beheld two crows pursuing and tormenting a hare, by every 
now and then pouncing down upon it. Each blow seemed 
to be aimed at the head; and each time that one was given 
the hare screamed piteously. The blows soon had the ef- 
fect of stupefying the creature. Sometimes they felled it 
to the ground. We eventually lost sight of the crows, but 
doubtless they would at last kill and devour the hare. I 
remember, while out on the hills at Boyndie, witnessing an- 
other though a less daring attack. Concealed among some 
trees and bushes, waiting for a cuckoo which I expected 
to pass, I observed a half-grown rabbit emerge from some 
whins, and begin to frolic about close by. Presently down 
pops a hoodie, and approaches the rabbit, whisking, pran- 
cing, and jumping. He seemed to be most friendly, court- 
eous, and humorsome to the little rabbit. All of a sudden, 
however, as if he meant to finish the joke with a ride, he 
mounts the back of the rabbit. Up springs the latter, and 
away he runs, But short was his race. A few sturdy 
