7 
clanger, I will relate the following experiment and its result. One day 
last May, while fishing, I noticed a Crow in the top of a dead tree, fifty 
yards or more away. It was constantly cawing and apparently watching 
me. Remembering the old darkey’s adage, " A Crow knows a gun," I 
thought it a good time to test the saying ; so picking up my wooden fishing- 
rod case, I walked toward the tree where the bird was perched some sixty 
feet from the ground. Having reached the tree I walked around the 
trunk and back to the creek, where I had left my gun, without the bird 
taking wing. On reaching the creek, I substituted the gun for the rod 
case, and again started for the tree. I had scarcely taken a dozen steps 
ere the Crow decamped to another tree; nor could I approach within gun 
shot. I then placed my gun on the ground and attempted to get closer, 
but I found it as wary as before ; the sight of the gun had destroyed all 
former confidence. On my return to the creek, my companion, who was 
further up the stream, called to me to bring my gun. I immediately com¬ 
plied with his request, leaving the fish I had caught submerged in the 
water on a string I was absent probably an hour. On approaching, I 
observed a Crow sitting on a tree above where I had left the string of fish. 
Suspecting some mischief from its excited actions, I ran forward quickly 
to see what was up. The Crow cawed rapidly three or four times and 
Hew swiftly away. Simultaneously from the waters edge, arose two more 
Crows, acting on the signal given by the sentinel in the tree. As they were 
eating the fish below the creek bank, they could not possibly have seen or 
heard my approach. I found nothing remaining excepting ten eyeless 
heads strung on the cord, the Crows having pulled the string from the 
water and eaten the fish on the ground. 
“ The great Crow roosts of the Middle States, famous in pioneer days, 
seem to have diminished both in number of roosts and individual birds 
composing them. South west of this city there is quite a large roost, 
some members of which (400 or more by actual count) pass daily over the 
city to the Missouri river banks and sand bars, where they glean the 
refuse and debris washed ashore from the city. They congregate in 
November and disperse upon the breaking up of the Winter frosts. As 
the season advances, a half dozen or less may be seen in some pasture 
or marshy place, where the grass is short, feeding on all kinds of insects 
and their larve, Crustacea, and in fact all animal life too weak to resistor 
avoid their rapacity. For several seasons past, a flock has frequented a 
marshy pasture, close to the public road near to the river. Among them 
could plainly be seen a pure white specimen. So often was it seen, that 
it became a matter of publication in our daily papers. Many attempts 
were made to secure this ‘ White Crow,’ but none were successful, as the 
wary cunning of the ‘ Black Crow ’ was predominant. ” 
