NATUEE AND HER HARMONIES. 
23 
sounds tlie alarm ; he repeats his cries, increasing their vehe- 
mence the nearer his enemy advances — all the crows, within 
half a mile round, are seen flying off, each repeating the well 
known notes of the trusty watchman, who, just as the young 
gunner is about to take aim, betakes himself to flight. But, 
alas! he chances, unwittingly, to pass over a sportsman, 
whose dexterity is greater ; the mischievous prowler aims his 
piece, fires ; down towards the earth, broken-winged, falls the 
luckless bird in an instant. ' It is nothing but a crow I' quoth 
the sportsman, who proceeds in search of game, and leaves 
the poor creature to die in the most excruciating agonies." 
Sharp fellows they are, and hard to be fooled — ^those 
crows ! We have often thought, that with his dark plumes 
and ready wit, he must be on the other, side of "Styx" the 
Plutonian Mercury. Some of the funniest things we have 
seen him do, that would have made the frosty, antique Zeno 
laugh like a Bacchante. He is " exclusively up to snuff," in 
all the wiles and ways of this wicked world. Catch a crow 
napping, or lure him within "point blank" if you can, unless 
you meanly take advantage of his passions or of his social 
feelings. 
As we are fully launched in the discursive direction, we 
may as well give an anecdote of this trait : 
We saw a vile, but comical trick, practiced upon him once 
"out West." 
A fellow had caught a large owl in a hollow tree. He 
took him out into an open field much frequented by crows, 
and tied him on the top of a low stake within gun-shot of a 
stack, where he concealed himself In a little while the 
crows, w^ho are inveterate in their hatred of such twilight 
enemies, came thronging clamorously from all quarters about 
the owl, and commenced buffetting him heartily. The fellow 
shot and killed several of them before they took warning in 
the blindness of their wrath, but just as they were commenc- 
ing to shear off, an accidental shot brought down one merely 
winged. 
