87 
THE AMERICAN CROW. 
CORVUS AMERICANUS. 
PLATE GCXXY.— Male. 
The Crow is an extremely shy bird, having found familiarity with man 
no way to his advantage. He is also cunning — at least he is so called, 
because he takes care of himself and his brood. The state of anxiety, I may 
say of terror, in which he is constantly kept, would be enough to spoil the 
temper of any creature. Almost every person has an antipathy to him, and 
scarcely one of his race would be left in the land, did he not employ all his 
ingenuity, and take advantage of all his experience, in counteracting the evil 
machinations of his enemies. I think I see him perched on the highest 
branch of a tree, watching every object around. He observes a man on 
horseback travelling towards him ; he marks his movements in silence. No 
gun does the rider carry, — no, that is clear; but perhaps he has pistols in 
the holsters of his saddle! — of that the Crow is not quite sure, as he cannot 
either see them or “smell powder.” He beats the points of bis wings, 
jerks his tail once or twice, bows his head, and merrily sounds the joy which 
he feels at the moment. Another man he spies walking across the field 
towaids his stand, but he has only a stick. Yonder comes a boy shouldering 
a musket loaded with large shot for the express purpose of killing Crows! 
The bird immediately sounds an alarm ; he repeats his cries, increasing their 
vehemence the nearer his enemy advances. All the Crows within half a 
mile round are seen flying off, each repeating the well known notes of the 
trusty watchman, who, just as the young gunner is about to take aim, betakes 
himself to flight. But alas, he chances unwittingly to pass over a sportsman, 
whose dexterity is greater ; the mischievous prowler aims his piece, fires 
down towards the earth, broken-winged, falls the luckless bird in an instant. 
“ It is nothing but a crow,” quoth the sportsman, who proceeds in search of 
game, and leaves the poor creature to die in the most excruciating agonies. 
Wherever within the Union the laws encourage the destruction of this 
species, it is shot in great numbers for the sake of the premium offered for 
each Crow’s head. You will perhaps be surprised, reader, when I tell you 
that in one single State, in the course of a season, 40,000 were shot, besides 
the multitudes of young birds killed in their nests. Must I add to this 
slaughter other thousands destroyed by the base artifice of laying poisoned 
