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C R 0 AV. 
rendered unsuspicious of, and placed on terms of familiarity with, man, 
that the true traits of his genius, and native disposition, fully develop 
themselves. In this state he soon learns to distinguish all the members 
of the family ; flies towards the gate, screaming at the approach of a 
stranger ; learns to open the door by alighting on the latch ; attends 
regularly at the stated hours of dinner and breakfast ; Avhich he appears 
punctually to recollect ; is extremely noisy and loquacious ; imitates the 
sound of various words, pretty distinctly ; is a great thief and hoarder 
of curiosities, hiding in holes, corners and crevices, every loose article 
he can carry off, particularly small pieces of metal, corn, bread, and 
food of all kinds ; is fond of the society of his master, and will know 
him even after a long al:)sence ; of which the following is a remark- 
able instance, and may be relied on as a fact. A very worthy gen- 
tleman, now living in tlie Genesee country, but Avho, at the time 
alluded to, resided on the Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had 
raised a Crnw, M ith whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse 
himself. This Crow lived long in the family ; but at length disappeared, 
having, as was then supposed, been shot by some vagrant gunner, or de- 
stroyed ].)y accident. About eleven months after this, as the gentleman, 
one morning, in company with several others, was standing on the river 
shore, a number of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left the 
flock, and flying directly towards the company, alighted on the gentle- 
man's shoulder, and began to gabble away with great volubility, as one 
long-absent friend naturally enough does on meeting with another. On 
recovering from his surprise, the gentleman instantly recognised his old 
acquaintance ; and endeavored by several civil but sly manoeuvres to lay 
hold of him ; but the Crow, not altogether relishing quite so much 
familiarity, having now had a taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously 
eluded all his attempts ; and suddenly glancing his eye on his distant 
companions, mounted in the air after them, soon overtook and mingled 
with them, and was never afterward seen to return. 
The habits of the Crow, in his native state, are so generally known, 
as to require little further illustration. His watchfulness, and jealous 
sagacity in distinguishing a person with a gun, are notorious to every 
one. In spring, when he makes his appearance among the groves and 
low thickets, the whole feathered songsters are instantly alarmed, well 
knowing the depredations and murders he commits on their nests, eggs 
and young. Few of them, however, have the courage to attack him, 
except the King-bird, who on these occasions teases and pursues him 
from place to place, diving on his back while high in the air, and harass- 
ing him for a great distance. A single pair of these noble-spirited birds, 
whose nest was built near, have been known to protect a whole field of 
corn from the depredations of the Crows, not permitting one to ap- 
proach it. 
