AMERICAN CROW 229 



me, fly to a white oak eight or ten rods from the wood 

 in the pasture and directly alight on the ground, pick 

 up an acorn, and fly back into the woods with it. This 

 was one, perhaps the most effectual, way in which this 

 wood was stocked with the numerous little oaks which 

 I saw under that dense white pine grove. Where will 

 you look for a jay sooner than in a dense pine thicket ? 

 It is there they commonly live, and build. 



What if the oaks are far off ? Think how quickly a 

 jay can come and go, and how many times in a day ! 



Oct. 29, 1860. Again, as day before yesterday, sitting 

 on the edge of a pine wood, I see a jay fly to a white oak 

 half a dozen rods off in the pasture, and, gathering an 

 acorn from the ground, hammer away at it under its 

 foot on a limb of the oak, with an awkward and rapid 

 seesaw or teetering motion, it has to lift its head so high 

 to acquire the requisite momentum. The jays scold 

 about almost every white oak tree, since we hinder their 

 coming to it. 



\_See also under Hawks, p. 163; General and Mis- 

 cellaneous, pp. 414, 416.] 



AMERICAN CROW 



Sept. 17, 1852. The crows congregate and pursue me 

 through the half-covered woodland path, cawing loud 

 and angrily above me, and when they cease, I hear 

 the winnowing sound of their wings. What ragged 

 ones ! 



Nov. 1, 1853. As I return, I notice crows flying 

 southwesterly in a very long straggling flock, of which 



