C 31 ] 



natural ftrength and perfe6lion," He fays, 

 " About twenty five years ago, coming from 

 " Rofe-Caftle early in the morning, I obferved 

 " a great number of crows very bufy at their 

 " work, upon a declining ground of a mofly 

 " furface : I went out of my way on purpofe to 

 " view their labour ; and I found they were 



planting a grove of oaks. The manner of their 

 " planting was thus : they firfl made little holes 

 " in the earth with their bills, going about and 

 " about till the hole was deep enough, and then 

 " they dropped in the acorn, and covered it 

 " with earth and mofs : the young plantation is 

 " now growing up to a thick grove of oaks, fit 

 " for ufe, and of height for the crows to build 

 " their nefts in. I told it to the owner of the 

 '* ground, who obferved them to fpring up, and 

 " took care to fecure their growth and rifing. 

 " The feafon was at the latter end of autumn, 



when all feeds were fully ripe." 



Mr. Robinfon feems to think, that Provi- 

 dence had given the crows this inftind folely 

 for the propagation of trees ; but, I imagine, 



it 



