CROW. 
243 
all these accounts, various modes have been invented 
for capturing them. They have been taken in clap nets, 
commonly used tor taking pigeons; two or three live 
crows being previously procured as decoys, or, as they 
are called, stool-crows. Corn has been steeped in n 
strong decoction of hellebore, which, when eaten by 
them, produces giddiness, and tinally, it is said, death. 
Pieces of paper formed into the shape of a hollow cone, 
besmeared within with birdlime, and a grain or two of 
corn dropt on the bottom, have also been adopted. 
Numbers of these being placed on the ground, u here 
corn has been planted, the crows, attempting to rwich 
the o-rains, are instantly hoodwinked, tiy directly up- 
wards to a great height ; but generally descend near the 
spot whence they rose, and are easily taken. The reeds 
of their roosting’places are sometimes set on lire during 
a dark night, and the gunners having previously posted 
themselves around, the crows rise in great uproar, and, 
amidst the general consternation, by the light of the 
burnings, hundreds ot them are shot donm. 
Crovvs have been employed to catch crows by the 
following stratagem : A live crow is pinned by the 
wines down to the ground on his back, by means of 
two'sharp, forked sticks. Thus situated, his cries are 
loud and incessant, particularly if any other crovis are 
within view. These, swee|)ing down about him, are 
instantly grappled by the prostrate prisoner, by the 
same instinctive impulse that urges a dron niug' person 
to grasp at every thing within lus reach. Having dis- 
engaged the ganic from his clutches, the trap is again 
remly for another e.viieriment ; and by pinning down 
each captive, successively, as soon as taken, in a short 
time you will probably have a large dock screaming 
above you, in concert with the outrageous -prisoners 
below. Many farmers, however, are content with 
hanging up the skins, or dead carcasses, of crows in 
their corn fields, in terrorem; others depend altogether 
on the gun, keeping one of their people snpiilied u ith 
ammunition, and constantly on the look out. In hard 
winters the crows suffer severely ; so that they have 
