The Indian Crow . 
185 
destruction of their white crowes, and tale made by the beckc, which 
killed both lambs and pigs. The like order is taken with us for our 
vermines, as with them also for the rootage out of their wild beasts, 
saving that they spared their greatest beares, especiallie the white, 
whose skins are by custome and privilege reserved to cover those 
planchers wher upon their priests doo stand at masse, least he should 
take some unkind cold in such a long peece of worke : and happie is 
the man that may provide them for him, for he shall have pardon 
inough for that so religious an act, to last if he will till doomes day 
<loo approach: and manie thousands after.” ( Holinshed, vol. i. p. 375.) * 
Whether meant seriously or not, the reference to Olaus 
Magnus in the latter part of this passage shows how well 
the Northern chroniclers’ work was known in England. 
One of the chief features of East Indian life, the 
impudent, intruding crow, is mentioned, and some of its 
freaks described, by Linschoten, an early explorer :— 
“ There [Goa] is a most wonderfull number of blacke crowes, which 
doe much hurt, and are so bold that oftentimes they come flying in at 
their windowes, and take the meat out of the dish, as it standeth upon 
the table, before them that are downe to eat: and as I my selfe sate 
writing above in a chamber of the house, the windowes being open, one 
of those crows flew in at the window, and picked the cotton out of my 
inke-horne, and blotted all the paper that lay on my table, doe what I 
could to let him. They sit commonly upon the buffles and pecke oft' 
their haire, so that you shall find very few buffles that have any haires 
upon their backes, and therefore to avoyd the crowes they get them¬ 
selves into marishes, and vvatrie places, where they stand in the water 
up to their neckes, otherwise they could never be rid of them.” 
(Voyage to Goa, 1588, Purclias , vol. ii. p. 1770.) 
The water buffaloes of India have probably other objects 
in view in seeking the marshes than merely to rid them¬ 
selves of the depredations of the crows, however perti¬ 
nacious these may be. 
The “Raven called Rolfe” performs the same office 
in cold countries that the vulture does in 
warmer regions, and, like the latter bird, 
pays the penalty of unpopularity on account of his un- 
* See page 84. 
