CROW, 
211 
young. Like the Ravens, endued with an unrestrained 
and natural affection, they continue the whole succeed- 
ing summer to succour and accompany their offspring in 
all their undertakings and excursions. 
The Crow is equally omnivorous with the Raven ; in- 
sects, worms, carrion, fish, grain, fruits, and in short 
every thing digestible by any or all the birds in existence,, 
being alike acceptable to this gormandizing animal. 
His destruction of bird-eggs is also very considerable. 
In Europe they are often detected feeding their voracious 
young with the precious eggs of the Partridge, which they 
very sagaciously convey by carefully piercing and sticking 
them expertly on the bill. They also know how to 
break nuts and shell-fish by dropping them from a great 
height upon the rocks below. # They visit even the snares, 
and devour the birds which they find caught, attacking 
the weak and wounded game. They also sometimes seize 
on young chickens and ducks, and have even been observ- 
ed to pounce upon pigeons, in the manner of hawks, and 
with almost equal success. So familiar and audacious are 
they in some parts of the Levant, that they will frequent 
the courts of houses, and like harpies alight boldly on the 
dishes, as the servants are conveying in the dinner, and 
carry off the meat, if not driven away by blows. In turn 
however the Crow finds enemies too powerful for him to 
conquer, such as the Kite and Eagle Owl, who occasion- 
ally make a meal of this carrion bird, a voracious pro- 
pensity which the Virginian Owl also sometimes exhibits 
towards the same species. Wherever the Crow appears, 
the smaller birds take the alarm, and vent upon him their 
just suspicions and reproaches. But it is only the re- 
* It is related of a certain ancient philosopher, walking along the sea-shore to 
gather shells, that one of these unlucky birds, mistaking his bald head for a stone, 
dropped a shell-fish upon it, and thus killed at once a philosopher and an oyster. 
