m 
Birds of Ceylon. 
has eaten up its portion, it renews its noise, and goes in quest 
of another tree, followed by the man, who finds a guide here 
provided for him by nature. 
The crows here, as in every other part of India, are ex- 
ceedingly impudent and troublesome ; and it is found very dif- 
ficult to exclude them from the houses, which, on account of 
the heat, are built open and much exposed to such intruders. 
I have already mentioned some of the vexations I experienced 
from them while at Columbo. They are so audacious, that, 
like the fabled harpies, they will frequently snatch bread and 
meat from the dining table, even when it is surrounded with 
guests. In shape they exactly resemble our common crow, but 
in size are generally smaller. They abound in every town, 
fort, and village on the island : as if particularly addicted to 
the society of man, they are continually seen hopping about 
among the habitations, and are very rarely to be met with in 
woods or retired places. These animals, however, though so 
exceedingly troublesome, and continually on the watch to pick 
up every thing that comes within their reach, still are not to 
be considered as an unnecessary pest entailed upon the inhabi- 
tants of that part of the globe. The crows, in fact, are very 
important benefactors to the Indians, and by their utility am- 
ply compensate for their troublesome knaveries. As they are 
all voracious devourers of carrion, and instantly eat up all sorts 
of dirt, offal, and dead vermin as soon as they appear ; they 
carry off those substances which, if allowed to remain, would 
in this hot climate produce tlie most noxious smells, and pro- 
bably give rise to putrid disorders. On this account tlie crows 
are much esteemed by the natives, their mischievous tricks and 
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