CROW. 
87 
following is a remarkable instance, and may be relied on as 
a fact : — A very worthy gentleman, now [1811] living in the 
Gennesee country, but who, at the time alluded to, resided on 
the Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had raised a Crow, 
with whose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse 
himself. This Crow lived long in the family ; but at length 
disappeared, having, as was then supposed, been shot by some 
vagrant gunner, or destroyed by accident. About eleven 
months after this, as the gentleman, one morning, in com- 
pany with several others, was standing on the river shore, a 
number of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left the 
flock, and flying directly towards the company, alighted on 
the gentleman’s shoulder, and began to gabble away with 
great volubility, as one long absent friend naturally enough 
does on meeting with another. On recovering from his 
surprise, the gentleman instantly recognized his old acquain- 
tance, and endeavoured, by several civil but sly manoeuvres, 
to lay hold of him; but the Crow, not altogether relishing 
quite so much familiarity, having now had a taste of the 
sweets of liberty, cautiously eluded all his attempts; and 
suddenly glancing his eye on his distant companions, mounted 
in the air after them, soon overtook and mingled with them, 
and was never afterwards seen to return. 
The habits of the Crow in his native state are so generally 
known as to require little father illustration. His watchful- 
ness, and jealous sagacity in distinguishing a person with a 
gun, are notorious to every one. In spring, when he makes 
his appearance among the groves and low thickets, the whole 
feathered songsters are instantly alarmed, well knowing the 
depredations and murders he commits on their nests, eggs, and 
young. Few of them, however, have the courage to attack 
him, except the King Bird, who, on these occasions, teases 
and pursues him from place to place, diving on his back 
while high in air, and harassing him for a great distance. 
A single pair of these noble spirited birds, whose nest was 
built near, have been known to protect a whole field of 
