82 
CROW. 
of its object. The coast again clear, lie returns once more 
in silence, to finish the repast he had begun. Sometimes he 
approaches the farm house by stealth, in search of young 
chickens, which he is in the habit of snatching off, when he 
can elude the vigilance of the mother hen, who often proves 
too formidable for him. A few days ago, a Crow was observed 
eagerly attempting to seize some young chickens in an 
orchard, near the room where I write; but these clustering 
close round the hen, she resolutely defended them, drove the 
Crow into an apple tree, whither she instantly pursued him 
with such spirit and intrepidity, that he was glad to make a 
speedy retreat, and abandon his design. 
The Crow himself sometimes falls a prey to the superior 
strength and rapacity of the great Owl, whose weapons of 
offence are by far the more formidable of the two.* 
* “ A few years ago,” says an obliging correspondent, “ I resided on the 
banks of the Hudson, about seven miles from the city of New York. Not far 
from the place of my residence was a pretty thick wood or swamp, in which 
great numbers of Crows, who used to cross the river from the opposite shore, 
were accustomed to roost. Returning homeward one afternoon, from a shooting 
excursion, I had occasion to pass through this swamp. It was near sunset, 
and troops of Crows were flying in all directions over my head. While engaged 
in observing their flight, and endeavouring to select from among them an object 
to shoot at, my ears were suddenly assailed by the distressful cries of a Crow, 
who was evidently struggling under the talons of a merciless and rapacious 
enemy. I hastened to the spot whence the sounds proceeded, and, to my great 
surprise, found a Crow lying on the ground, just expiring, and seated upon the 
body of the yet warm and bleeding quarry, a large brown Owl, who was beginning 
to make a meal of the unfortunate robber of corn fields. Perceiving my 
approach, he forsook bis prey with evident reluctance, and flew into a tree at a 
little distance, where be sat watching all my movements, alternately regarding, 
with longing eyes, the victim he had been forced to leave, and darting at me no 
very friendly looks, that seemed to reproach me for having deprived him of his 
expected regale. I confess that the scene before me was altogether novel and 
surprising. I am but little conversant with natural history ; but I had always 
understood, that the depredations of the Owl were confined to the smaller 
birds and animals of the lesser kind, such as mice, young rabbits, & c. and that 
he obtained his prey rather by fraud and stratagem, than by open rapacity and 
violence. I was the more confirmed in this belief, from the recollection of a 
