The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-02-11
aMisfenatrenus.
ANIMAL PLAQUES IN INDIA.

As an Anglo-Indian of some twenty
years experience, l have often chuckled
over the ignorance of folks at home on
what really constitutes the animal plague
Of life in India. There is an impression
IN England that snakes and scorpions
are as common in an Indian bungalow
as black beetles and spiders in Lon
don lodging house; but, so far from this
being the case, in all my Indian service
Ihave never yet seen cobra inside
kouse. and l dare say | could count on
my fingers all l have seen outside the
door when shooting, hunting, &c. AS
for scorpions, l was stung by one once
---and suffered very little pain by the
way--but they are in no wise so plenti-
fAl as is supposed; indeed, in clean,
we4lswept house, I doubt if the proprie-
tur wosld see two scorpions in year.
4ad even these would most probably be
IN situations where sting would be inn
possible. have known a cheetah to
take refuge under lady's piano. and
that too, in one of the largest military
seations of Southern India; but these are
not the creatures from which the exile of
the East suffers daily and constant an.
Aoy4nce: 1--WE must look elsewhere for
Ghe plaques that fever his blood, in COM
bination with the heat and the servants.
At the head of all should place the In
dian crow C0rvSs s6IenGe1S, l believe
he is scientifically called-a sooty, dia-
nond-eyed rascal, the pest Of the coun-
Wy and the people In the Madras Club
and in many private houses, they keep
a servant with pellet bow in his hand
On purpose to drive away these impu-
dent birds from the reception rooms;
nevertheless, despite poems and pellets,
Germs spLenGeTs will alight on the
handsome punkahs. and maliciously de-
6ie them, and such books and papers as
may be on the tables beneath. The fine
statue by Chantrey Of the Reverend Sir
Thomas Munroe, at Madras, is a favor
he resting-place of this rascally bird, to
whom nothing is sacred any more than
10 a sapeur. and the generals head is so
whiened by the crows that he might we'll
be called Sir Thomas Guano. rr
The cunning of this crow is incredible
From what I have seen myself. I can
quito believe Sir Emerson Tennent's
story Of the one crow pulling the dogs
tail while the other snatched the bone
from beneath his paws, for have OBJ
served these crows do almost everything
but talk, and they are especially great in
ne thieving line. 1t would almost seem
as if the spirits of innumerable Fagins
and Artful Dodgers must animate the
afow, in accordance with the Hindoo
doctrine Of transmigration Of souls, and
Fam sure that even Jack Sheppard him.
se.f could not "crack a crib" more
speedily and effectively than this cum
ming bird. Sometimes. however, he
catches a Tartar, in the shape Of the
cook, when on his marauding expedi-
Hons, The natives dislike killing these
birds. even when caught in the act of
carrying off their curry, but they re-
venge themselves upon the thief, when
dhey can catch him, after the humane
fashion Of the mild Hindoo, and pluck
fhe bird all over, leaving him nothing
but his wings and tail to get away with.
A most miserable object does the ex-
Co,vSs spke1Ge1J present under these
circumstances. He is aVeritable scare
crow, and imagine soon dies Of fHvpo-
condria or smelancholia on the ledge
.sf roof.
The bird is bold bird too. and will
give an instance Of his audacity. One
Anne my house became so infested with