120 FISH CROW. 



snatching up, with their claws, dead fish, or other garbage, 

 that floated on the surface. At the country seat of Stephen 

 Elliot, Esq., near the Ogechee river, I took notice of these 

 crows frequently perching on the backs of the cattle, like the 

 magpie and jackdaw of Britain ; but never mingling with 

 the common crows and differing from them in this particular, 

 that the latter generally retire to the shore, the reeds, and 

 marshes, to roost, while the fish crow always, a little before 

 sunset, seeks the interior high woods to repose in. 



On my journey through the Mississippi territory last year, I 

 resided for some time at the seat of my hospitable friend 

 Dr Samuel Brown, a few miles from Fort Adams, on the 

 Mississippi. In my various excursions there, among the 

 lofty fragrance-breathing magnolia woods and magnificent 

 scenery that adorn the luxuriant face of nature in those 

 southern regions, this species of crow frequently made its 

 appearance, distinguished by the same voice and habits it had 

 in Georgia. There is, in many of the ponds there, a singular 

 kind of lizard, that swims about with its head above the sur- 

 face, making a loud sound, not unlike the harsh jarring of a 

 door. These the crow now before us would frequently seize 

 with his claws, as he flew along the surface, and retire to the 

 summit of a dead tree to enjoy his repast. Here I also ob- 

 served him a pretty constant attendant at the pens where the 

 cows were usually milked, and much less shy, less suspicious, 

 and more solitary than the common crow. In the county of 

 Cape May, New Jersey, I again met with these crows, par- 

 ticularly along Egg Harbour river ; and latterly on the 

 Schuylkill and Delaware, near Philadelphia, during the season 

 of shad and herring fishing, viz., from the middle of March till 

 the beginning of June. A small party of these crows, during 

 this period, regularly passed Mr Bartram's gardens to the 

 high woods to roost, every evening a little before sunset, and 

 as regularly returned, at or before sunrise every morning, 

 directing their course towards the river. The fishermen 

 along these rivers also inform me, that they have parti- 



