Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-03-20
NO. 80.
A Great Kentucky CrOw-ROost.
a MILLIoN oR I'd 81 cRows.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial tells the following curious
story about an immense crow-roost
near Lexington, Kentucky. He saws:
lone Of the most remarkable sights
in Kentucky is the crOw-roost seven
miles from Lexington, on the Danville
pike. The roost is so old that the mind
Ofthe Oldest inhabitant of the blue grass
region runneth not to the contrary
Many years ago the roost was nearer
Lexington, but as the trees were cut
away the crows moved south-war al
ways seeking the next piece of timber.
At the present there are no large forests
in the country near the city, and usanv
pieces of timber have been called INTO
requisition to lodge their black high
nesses.
Hundreds sleep in the open fields
for want of a limb, and the wrangIe
over a desirable bed in a EreB-top is
something fearful. By tile amount of
cawing and jaWing d0ne6ve evening.
we should think the q CHestiOn Of recon-
struCting the rOOst, or moving il Alto
gether, was under discussion. Wheth-
er the crows viii ever abandon their
ancient roost is a matter of some doubt.
but Judging by the fact that hundreds.
if not to say thousands, have already
given up the trees and rOOst on tile
ground, we incline TO the opinion that
when there are no more trees all will
content themselves with a bed on moth
er Earth. A gentlemen who lives near
the roost, and wbo has a fine Ioc1st
/ grove in front of his house, was sur-
4 prised one evening to see it black with
I crows. For time all went on well. but
/ the rOost became popular, and everv
evening there was Wrangle TO see who
I would get it.
Gas the desirable place would hold
| only few hundreds, and there were
| some thousands who nightly applied
/ for lodging, the noise and confusion he
| came iutolerable. Sometimes iu fdfe
/ middle ofthe night an overloaded limb
Z would break, and then a battle vould
/ ensue, lasting not unfreQueHtiv till dav-
I light. Tried out with the din that ban
ished the idea Of sleep, enc night the old
/ fellow and his son saahed out with sbot
guns aud slew sonRe hundredsof their
/ annoying visitors. Next morning the
| crows were all gone, and returned no
more to the grove.
''The other evening we drove ont To
4 the rOOst, and witnessed a sight we
I shall not soon forget. 1t was O'Clock
when we arrived on the ground, and
] already the crows had begun to arrive.
/ At sundOWn they were coming from All
| directions, and long lines continued
I entering the woods from every quarter
! until dark. Each flock had a filer or
4 leader, who flew over the treetops un-
/ til he found his rOost, when the head Of
u
i round and round and winding thep1-
/ selves about their chief Only few
| crows would light on the same tree
| where the leader lighted, from which
1 fact we judge he is a sort Of aristocratic
| parsonage who does not associate with
/ the common herd, and that the persons
who slept on his tree were his roval
/ family and crows high in authority in
4 the flock.
/ "The crows did not seem afraid Of us.
! and were evidently used to human vis-
/ itOrs. We drove up quite close to trees
! bending beneath their weight, but these
birds, usually so shy, did not mind US
| much until nay companion initiated the
! explosion Of a gun, when q scene that
/ beggars description followed. Instant
/ ly cries rose from all parts Of the wood
| and thousands Of crows flew into the
air, circling round and round as, cav
| ing vOctferOusly. At times the noise
was 50 great that, although sitting side
/ by side IN the buggy, we had to speak
/ loudly in order to be heard by each 9TH
er. Having raised great distress among
/ our black friends, we drove off. but for
miles saw hocks in the air still coming
to rOOsts The rustic Of the wings in fly-
! ing was one of the most peculiar sounds
ever heard q large Goclz passing sill
| emily over our heads we paused to lis
ten, and could liEzeu the noise to moth
/ ing but the hutter of a million fans, OF
the rumpling Of vast pieces Of silk.
when the firing continues for any
I time they viii ny into the open fields
and there sleep until daylight. AS soon
as the day begins to break they quit
! their roost and go, no one knows where
| It has been estimated that a crow will
fly hundred miles for his breakfast
/ and return after his supper, and we
/ have not the least doubt that many OF
| the crows who sleep in Kentucky are
citizens of Ohio and Illinois. We think
| that about one million crows sleep at
the Church ROost, and about the last OF
| March they will leave us and scatter
/ themselves over the northern States, re-
! turning again next fall to spend the
/ winter with US. A gentleman who has
/ closely observed them for many years,
Z says that they decrease in numbers,
that they are slowly passing away, and
| IN SiIues Ilke tne poor Indian, Will be-
| come a defunct race on this continent. y