PREFACE. 



" A LL crows are alike," said a wise man, speakinq^ of 

 -^ ■*- politicians. Tliat is quite true — in the dark. By 

 daylight, however, there is as much difference, within and 

 without, in the first two crows one meets as in the first two 

 men or women. I asked a little child once, who was telling me 

 all about her chicken, how she knew her chicken from twenty 

 others just like him in the flock. " Huw do I know my 

 chicken.'' I know him by his little face," she said. y\nd 

 sure enough, the face, when )-ou looked at it closely, was 

 different from all other faces. 



This is undoubtedly true of all birds and all animals. They 

 recognize each other instantly amid multitudes of their kind ; 

 and one who watches them patiently sees qtiite as many odd 

 ways and individualities among Wood I'olk as among other 

 people. No matter, therefore, how well )'ou know the habits 

 of crows or the habits of caribou in general, watch the first one 

 that crosses your path as if he were an entire stranger ; open 

 eyes to see and heart to interpret, and )'ou will surely find 

 some new thing, some curious unrecorded way, to give delight 

 to your tramp and bring you home with a new interest. 



