88 crow. 



distinctly ; is a great thief and hoarder of curiosities, hiding 

 in holes, corners, and crevices, every loose article he can 

 carry off, particularly small pieces of metal, corn, bread, and 

 food of all kinds ; is fond of the society of his master, and will 

 know him even after a long absence, of which the following is 

 a remarkable instance, and may be relied on as a fact : — A 

 very worthy gentleman, now [1811] living in the Gennesee 

 country, but who at the time alluded to resided on the 

 Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had raised a crow, with 

 whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse himself. 

 This crow lived long in the family ; but at length disappeared, 

 having, as was then supposed, been shot by some vagrant 

 gunner, or destroyed by accident. About eleven months after 

 this, as the gentleman, one morning, in company with 

 several others, was standing on the river shore, a number of 

 crows happening to pass by, one of them left the flock, and 

 flying directly towards the company, alighted on the gentle- 

 man's shoulder, and began to gabble away with great 

 volubility, as one long absent friend naturally enough does 

 on meeting with another. On recovering from his surprise, 

 the gentleman instantly recognised his old acquaintance, and 

 endeavoured, by several civil but sly manoeuvres, to lay hold 

 of him ; but the crow not altogether relishing quite so much 

 familiarity, having now had a taste of the sweets of liberty, 

 cautiously eluded all his attempts ; and suddenly glancing 

 his eye on his distant companions, mounted in the air after 

 them, soon overtook and mingled with them, and was never 

 afterwards seen to return. 



The habits of the crow in his native state are so generally 

 known as to require little further illustration. His watchful- 

 ness, and jealous sagacity in distinguishing a person with a 

 gun, are notorious to every one. In spring, when he makes 

 his appearance among the groves and low thickets, the whole 

 feathered songsters are instantly alarmed, well knowing the 

 depredations and murders he commits on their nests, eggs, and 

 young. Few of them, however, have the courage to attack 



