CROWS. 
471 
been quite thrown away. But at length, just as we were leaving 
the shop for the second time, we saw the ribbon cut, and heard 
the clerk observe — " Six months hence, ma'am, you'll come into 
town expressly to thank me for having sold you three yards of 
that ribbon !" 
It frequently happens, if you are standing at the same counter 
with one of these hesitating purchasers, that they will appeal to 
you for advice as to the merit of some print, or handkerchief, 
&c., &c. 
Monday, 2^th. — Mild, with light rain. Sleighing gone ; wheel- 
carriages out to-day. 
The Crows are airing themselves this mild day ; they are out 
in large flocks sailing slowly over the valley, and just rising above 
the crest of the hills as they come and go ; they never seem to 
soar far above the woods. This afternoon a laro-e flock alio-jited 
on the naked trees of a meadow south of the village ; there were 
probably a hundred or two of them, for three large trees were 
quite black with them. The country people say it is a sign of 
pestilence, when the crows show themselves in large flocks in 
winter ; but if this were so, we should have but an unhealthy cli- 
mate, for they are often seen here during the winter. This 
year, however, they appear more numerous than common. The 
voice of our crow is so different from that of the European bird, 
that M. Charles Buonaparte was led to believe they must be 
another variety; upon examination, however, he decided they 
were the same. The habits of our crow, their collectijig in large 
flocks, their being smaller, and living so much on grain, are said 
rather to resemble those of the European Rook : 
