87 



THE AMERICAN CROW. 



-HCORVUS AMERICANUS. 



PLATE CCXXV— Male. 



The Crow is an extremely shy bird, having found familiarity with man 

 no way to his advantage. He is also cunning — at least he is so called, 

 because he takes care of himself and his brood. The state of anxiety, I may 

 say of terror, in which he is constantly kept, would be enough to spoil the 

 temper of any creature. Almost every person has an antipathy to him, and 

 scarcely one of his race would be left in the land, did he not employ all his 

 ingenuity, and take advantage of all his experience, in counteracting the evil 

 machinations of his enemies. I think I see him perched on the highest 

 branch of a tree, watching every object around. He observes a man on 

 horseback travelling towards him; he marks his movements in silence. No 

 gun does the rider carry, — no, that is clear; but perhaps he has pistols in the 

 holsters of his saddle! — of that the Crow is not quite sure, as he cannot 

 either see them or "smell powder." He beats the points of his wings, 

 jerks his tail once or twice, bows his head, and merrily sounds the joy which 

 he feels at the moment. Another man he spies walking across the field 

 towards his stand, but he has only a stick. Yonder comes a boy shouldering 

 a musket loaded with large shot for the express purpose of killing Crows! 

 The bird immediately sounds an alarm; he repeats his cries, increasing their 

 vehemence the nearer his enemy advances. All the Crows within half a 

 mile round are seen flying off, each repeating the well known notes of the 

 trusty watchman, who, just as the young gunner is about to take aim, betakes 

 himself to flight. But alas, he chances unwittingly to pass over a sportsman, 

 whose dexterity is greater; the mischievous prowler aims his piece, fires; — 

 down towards the earth, broken-winged, falls the luckless bird in an instant. 

 "It is nothing but a Crow," quoth the sportsman, who proceeds in search of 

 game, and leaves the poor creature to die in the most excruciating agonies. 



Wherever within the Union the laws encourage the destruction of this 

 species, it is shot in great numbers for the sake of the premium offered for 

 each Crow's head. You will perhaps be surprised, reader, when I tell you 

 that in one single State, in the course of a season, 40,000 were shot, besides 

 the multitudes of young birds killed in their nests. Must I add to this 

 slaughter other thousands destroyed b}' the base artifice of laying poisoned 



