Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-08-17
Crows in India.

A STRANGER arriving in India is at
once introduced to two of the greatest
curiositieS Of the country. AS his
vessel slowly Steams up the Hooghly,
and almost before the Custom House
officer has come on board, her rigging
has been invaded by at least one kite
and two or more crows, all busiiy
OYerhauling the deck and scanning
from alOft every nook ana corner there
of with keen eye to No. 1. Should
any uncovered dish be incautiOuSly
conveyed from the galley to the saloon,
its contents run strong chance of be-
ing sWooped off by kite, and any
droppings of food are us certainly
pOunced upon by crow.
Leaving the vessel the new arrival
loses sight temporarily of the kites !;
but on reaching his quarters he is GER
tain 10 re-encOunter the crow, abSO-
lutely certain; wherever he subse-
quently travels there he will find this
amusing and omnipresent bird, and
from the first he cannot fail to notice
and be amused by its audacious an
tics. On the morning after his arrival
let us imagine him seated in the veran-
da, discussing his first chota h0zree
Qiterally "small breakfast" light
and early meal universally taken in
India). No sooner are the YiandS placed
before him than he will see two or
three crows alighting on the veranda
rails. Ignorant as yet of their tactics
he will quietly discuss his buttered
toast, and perhaps introduce himself
to the birds by throwing them little
fragments thereof Greedily deYOur-
ing the inch they quietly prepare to
take the ell. Something calls him
away for a moment, and he returns to
find the thieves retreating with his
toast OF egg, and he sits down highly
amused at their impudence.
Perhaps this scene occurs in his
room, all the Venetian shutters of
which are wide open. AS he sits
down to his meal he will see a crow
sitting on the top of the Venetian and
peering sideways and curiouSly into
the room, and should he for a moment
leave the table he only returns to find
his toast and the crow gone together.
Everything is fish that comes to the
nets of those pillagers. They will
plumber alike the stall of the bGI21yO
dealer in grains and flour) or the
butcher; they Will gorge on sweet
meats or pilfer fruit; and eagerly will
they tap the toddy pots hanging from
the top Of the palm; While with still
greater guStO they will reyel on the
white ant when it swarms into the air
as q perfect winged insect at the COM
mencement of the rains They will
plumber the nOsebags of horses, re-
main in close attendance on the
Kitchen, carry off young chickens from
the foWl-yard, devOur strawberries
and tomatoes, await the daily shakingS
of the tableclOth, OF carry off a greasy
buster, and, in short, be in constant
readiness to carry off anything and
everything. They generally get the
first pickings of carrion, and are
always to be seen in the company of
yuitures when engaged in their sana-
tory operations. [ have seen a crow
deliberately sit on the back of gorg
ing yulture, and try to pull out of his
beak a choice bit of carriOn, the yul-
ture being quite at the mercy Of his
agile tOrmentOr. Frogs, the young of
birds Except of their own kind, for
''there is honor among thieves y,
mice, weak rats, and small and help
less creatures generally, especially the
young of the squirrel, are eagerly car
ried off and devOured
Though possessed of such a bad
character, the crow is universally
tolerated as a comic pest, amusing
alike to native and ETopean.-Chana-
bers' Journal.