THE CARRION CROW. 
87 
Ivary, shy, and cautious, now, all of a sudden, seems 
to lose these qualities ; and, regardless of personal 
danger, sometimes makes his nest within a hundred 
yards of the habitation of man, upon a tree, at once 
the most conspicuous and exposed. To us, who 
know so little of the economy of birds, this seems a 
jstrange phenomenon ; nor can any penetration of 
which we may be possessed enable us to comprehend 
the true meaning of this change from timidity to 
boldness, from distance to proximity, from wariness 
to heedlessness, in so many different species of birds. 
One would suppose that they would be more shy 
and distant at this interesting period ; and, in imi- 
tation of the cat, the rabbit, and the fox, conceal as 
much as possible the place of their retirement. The 
rook will sometimes build a poor and slovenly nest, 
but this is never the case with the carrion crow ; 
this bird invariably makes its nest firm and compact. 
A writer, who signs himself A. B. C, in the Maga- 
zine of Natural History (vol, v. p. 590.), tells us 
that some of the nests have such deep beds of 
wool, moss, and cows' hair, that the eggs seemed 
iquite lost ; and might have given the professor 
his erroneous idea of their being covered with 
those substances to keep them warm." O, fie I 
How is it possible that the eggs should seem quite 
lost, when the lining on which they lie is so per- 
fectly smooth that they appear as though they were 
in a basin. Not a single particle of the lining of the 
nest is ever seen betwixt the eggs and the eye of 
him who has ascended the tree to take a view of 
them. I challenge any naturalist to bring proof 
G 4 
