COEONE 8PLENDENS. 
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store ; or he resorts to the scene of the fisherman’s occupations on the sea-beach^ or the door of the native 
cottage at the morning hour of cooking, in all cases exactly at the opportune moment, and he is sure not 
to come away without his wants being satisfied. While living at Trincomalie I always found him winging 
his way at early morn, while it was yet dusk, in long lines to the sea-heach and to the troops’ meat-store, to 
he in time for the dragging of the scin-net or the cutting up of the oxen ; and gathering on the sands in noisy 
knots, or lining the branches in “ cawing ” rows, these skilful robbers would never miss a chance of snatching 
up an unguarded morsel. But it was at meal-time in the barrack-squares of Colombo that he was more 
particularly in his element j crowding in scores round the verandahs at the bugle-call of “dinners up,” the 
audacious thieves waited until the tables were spread and eagerly watched for the opportunity of acquiring a 
midday repast. Luckless was the soldier who turned his back for an instant ! Prom the adjacent branches to 
the table and back was the work of a second, and in this space of time the savoury meat had disappeared 
from the gunner’s plate and was being discussed by half a dozen sable beaks. In the bungalow verandah 
the Crow proves himself a terrible nuisance ; seated on the tops of the green “ tats,” or slyly perched on the 
window-sill with his head awry, he does not scruple to pounce down, and in the momentary absence of the 
Ayah snatch the bread from the children’s hands, or dart into the nursery and upset the milk-jug on the 
table ; or he will glide noiselessly through the breakfast-room window and in an instant pounce upon the 
sideboard or table, and having from afar selected the most tempting-looking cutlet or the best viand is off 
again before the Appu, who is laying “ master’s ” breakfast, can, with a well-aimed blow, effectually stop the 
thief. The only satisfaction that “master ” gets is the Appu’s tale, “ Sar ! I go to kitchen for a minute, and 
that Crow take away master’s breakfast.” I have witnessed one of these birds come into the mess-room at 
Colombo, pull off the napkin that had been placed over a cold joint on the sideboard, and begin pecking 
away most vigorously at the meat. 
Concerning the Crow’s exjjloits in Ceylon, Layard writes as follows : — •“ He levies contributions on all 
alike : leave but your breakfast-table for a moment, and as you return the rustling of hurrying wings, the 
marks of many feet on the white table-cloth, the gashes in the pat of butter, and the disappearance of 
plantains and small viands, proclaim who have been the robbers. The old Hioppcr woman’ sits frying her 
cakes under the lonely 'pandal’ of her cadjan hut, and over her, with head inclined, taking a bird’s-eye 
view of her cookery, sits the ‘ caca ; ’ and now the ‘ appah ’ (anglice ' hopper ’) is done, lifted from the 
pan, and laid on the little circular basket ready for a customer. With a grunt of satisfaction the aged crone 
surveys her handiwork, and drops her spoon to feel for her beloved betel-pouch ; a tiresome little bit of 
areca-nut has got into a corner, and the old dame bends over it, unmindful of her charge ; a dark figure drops 
from the roof, and though she is instautly on the alert and aims an ineffectual blow at the thief, the nice 
white ‘ appah ’ is borne off. Sometimes, however, the robber has but a poor hold on it and drops it on the red 
cabook road ; down pounce a host of Crows that have been looking on from many a tree, and a scuffle 
ensues : but anxious at least to cheat them of their booty, if not to retain the damaged article for her own 
eating, the old woman hurries to the rescue ; but this makes matters worse, the castle is defenceless, and 
unseen foes drop down from beam and rafter or fly in through open doors. The rice-basket is invaded, 
the chilli-box overturned, the dried fish stolen, and lucky is the dame if the crash of most of her little store 
of crockery and glass, swept to the ground and scattered in shining fragments, does not hastily recall her to 
her hut.” 
This account is by no means overdrawn, for to the natives of the bazaars the Crow is an utter pest. 
I question, however, whether his absence from the towns would not in the end lead to much harm, for he is 
a most useful scavenger, and clears the streets and back premises of every thing thrown out from the houses, 
which would otherwise speedily decomjjose in the rays of the tropical sun. Notwithstanding its utter dis- 
regard for the native (which is so great that I have seen one pounce on to a basket carried on a boy’s head and 
seize from it a cake or a fruit), it entertains a marked respect for the white man, and stands in whole- 
some dread of the gun, flying off the moment a stick even is pointed at it ; and so quick -sighted is it that it 
espies any one trying to stalk it and decamps at once, though it has not seen the gun in the enemy’s 
hand ! 
At certain hours in the day these Crows assemble in large flocks and hold a noisy parlance which lasts 
for some time. At Colombo it was usually on the beach at the “ Galle Buck,” over an evening meal 
