72 
THE CRO W. 
vigilance of tlie mother hen, who often proves too formida- 
ble for him. 
ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. 
A few days ago (says Mr. Wilson), 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 a correspondent of Mr. Wilson, 
u 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 home- 
ward one afternoon, from a shooting excursion, I had occa- 
sion 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 merci- 
