376 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



feel shame ; and the germs of this idea appear to some extent to 

 exist in birds. All observers will admit that crows are seldom, 

 if ever, seen in copula, and when a pair dare to carry their 

 matrimonial endearments too far, the rest, as if aware of their 

 comrades' indecent behaviour, invariably make it a duty of im- 

 mediately putting an end to all such public displays of affection. 

 " As for the wing-drooping, tail-cocking strut," says Finn, 

 " which the English rook indulges in during the breeding season, 

 any Calcutta crow who presumed to show off in such a way would 

 most likely be very soon taught that it was no ' matter for his 

 swellings, nor his turkey-cocks.' This interference by crows 

 in each other's domestic affairs is not confined to their own 

 community, but is extended to other birds which might happen 

 to misbehave themselves publicly. I have frequently noticed in 

 Calcutta that the crows invariably made it ' a point of honour ' 

 of trying to stop the amorous displays on the part of kites, which 

 are notorious sinners in publishing their banns of marriage 

 more '.felino." 



