THE CROW, BIRD CITIZEN OF EVERY LAND 



529 



I distinctly recall a 

 friend's pet crow that, 

 by its confiding na- 

 ture, had earned an 

 affectionate place in 

 the household. The 

 bird was always in- 

 terested in garden op- 

 erations, and when 

 work was being done 

 in the flower beds was 

 sure to be present. 

 One summer morning 

 found its mistress 

 busily engaged in 

 weeding an aster bed. 

 The refuse had been 

 carefully raked into 

 neat piles between the 

 rows when a telephone 

 call took her away for 

 a moment, and in the 

 brief absence the crow, 

 that no doubt had been 

 paying some attention 

 to the operations, com- 

 pleted the job by pull- 

 ing up the asters and 

 depositing them in 

 equally neat piles be- 

 side the refuse. 



Another crow, 

 whose plant-pulling 

 proclivities had been 

 developed almost to 

 the point of an ob- 

 session with respect 

 to a certain potted ge- 

 ranium, is the subject 

 of a story once told 

 by Mr. Robert Ridg- 

 way, the eminent or- 

 nithologist. This crow 

 persisted in removing a particular plant, 

 despite all that Mrs. Ridgway could do 

 to keep it growing. 



On one occasion the bird was observed 

 busily engaged in grubbing for insects 

 in the garden. It suddenly ceased its 

 diligent search, paused for a moment 

 with its head alert, then proceeded, half 

 hopping, half flying, through the garden, 

 the gate, and up the back stairs, di- 

 rectly to the doomed geranium, which 

 was straightway pulled up and deposited 

 neatly beside the pot. This done, the 



Official photograph U. S. Biological Survey 



the gaunt specter oe disease at times stalks through 

 the ranks of crow assemblages 



This disease, affecting the mucous membranes of the throat and 

 nostrils, also causes a whitish, translucent film to form over the 

 eyes. Blindness follows ; then these hapless creatures may be seen 

 groping along the branches of trees, apparently in a vain search for 

 food (see page 330). 



bird returned to its place in the garden 

 and continued its methodical search for 

 grubs. 



DOG AND CROW, BOON PLAYMATES 



Dr. Ned Dearborn has related an in- 

 teresting story of a crow and a farmer's 

 dog that grew up together. The dog en- 

 joyed chasing sticks and stones, and it 

 remained for the observant crow to 

 evolve a plan for mutual amusement. 

 The fracas would usually start whenever 

 the crow found the dog enjoying a noon- 



