CROW. 



83 



acres, elevated but a little above high water mark, and covered 

 with a thick growth of reeds. This appears to be the grand ren- 

 dezvous, or head quarters, of the greater part of the Crows within 

 forty or fifty miles of the spot. It is entirely destitute of trees, the 

 Crows alighting and nestling among the reeds, which by these 

 means are broken down and matted together. The noise created 

 by those multitudes, both in their evening assembly, and re-ascen- 

 sion in the morning ; and the depredations they commit in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of this great resort, are almost incredible. 

 Whole fields of corn are sometimes laid waste by thousands alight- 

 ing on it at once, with appetites whetted by the fast of the pre- 

 ceding night ; and the utmost vigilance is unavailing to prevent, at 

 least, a partial destruction of this their favorite grain. Like the 

 stragglers of an immense, undisciplined and rapacious army, they 

 spread themselves over the fields, to plunder and destroy wherever 

 they alight. It is here that the character of the Crow is universally 

 execrated ; and to say to the man who has lost his crop of corn by 

 these birds, that Crows are exceedingly useful for destroying ver- 

 min, would be as consolatory as to tell him who had just lost his 

 house and furniture by the flames, that fires are excellent for de- 

 stroying bugs. 



The strong attachment of the Crows to this spot may be illus- 

 trated by the following circumstance. Some years ago a sudden 

 and violent north-east storm came on during the night, and the 

 tide, rising to an uncommon height, inundated the whole island. 

 The darkness of the night, the suddenness and violence of the 

 storm, and the incessant torrents of rain that fell, it is supposed, 

 so intimidated the Crows that they did not attempt to escape, and 

 almost all perished. Thousands of them were next day seen float- 

 ing in the river; and the wind shifting to the north-west, drove 

 their dead bodies to the Jersey side, where for miles they black- 

 ened the whole shore. 



