Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-06-13

The habits Of mon and their modes OF liy-
ing vary widely according to circumstances.
Grows arc also able to adapt themselves TO
circumstances. Every farmer has observed
that there nro years when theso birds are e.
pecinlly destructive to the young corn plant.
When other food which they like better IL
plenty, and is to be had with less labor and
risk, it is against their principles to rob corn
fields. AT such times they arc far to virtu.
Gus to destroy the prospective crop by pulling
up the tender plant for the small kernel Of
corn which is found attached to the root. II
then they had. like us, medium Of exchange
which would purchase everything
who knows but that the best-fod crows would
beg it to help the cause.-the farmers cause
with never a thought for their own, and the
poor crows would all chip in and grow poor
or while tho fat crows grew fatter (?
Unluckily for the corn fields, the spring Of
1854 has been IN unfnvorable one for the
crow to display his moral character to the
best advantage. This season he wanted corn,
and be has had it and it is safe to say that
no crow has lost anything in reputation
among crows for stealing corn this spring.
We arc inclined to believe that public sonti-
ment among them goes farther than q mere
justification Of the theft, and that the crow
that has grown the latest on stolen corn will
stand the best chance Of official prefermont.
In this respect we are not disposed to place
the crow much above our own kind.
II the crow is ambitious Of official honors
among his black fellows, perhaps one CT his
motives in taking the corn is to prove his Gbil-
ity to take care Of himself which be well
knows will be taken as evidence of his ell
cheney in helping those who mny place him
in position to distribute favors. Either
installing tho drift Of sentiment among pclit
ical managers, or shrewdly divining ii, ho has
concluded that stealing will pay better this
year than preaching reform and abstinence
from corn. Is there any need Of going fnr,b-
or to account for the unusually largo quaint
ty of sprouted corn that has been carried
away this season in the crop Of the crow
Another but less plausible theory is that he
seeks revenge for the base tricks that were
played on him when he was less sophisticated
than now-the harmless white cord strung
around the field the equally innocent, be.
cause discarded hoop skirts covering moth
ing but dry stake, on the top of which is
anonymously hung an old stovepipe hat
and the vile imitation of the farmer himself
in the act of dscharging & bogus frearm
made of a crooked stick The crow, with oil
his sagacity and all his facility in adopting
the ways of the politician, lie extremely cred
ulous and 0ver-cautious and these imposi
lions on his credulity were for a time success
full. Is it surprising that when, in the prog
ress Of Darwinian development be realizes
how he has been sold, he feels like destroy.
ing the whole corn crop? Such crude dew
ces are no longer available against the pro.
gressive crow. To deceive him at this late
day requires work of art like that which
may be seen in d cornfeld on the road from
West Dummerston to Brattleboro, two miles
below the former place. Here is 4 spirited
figure which, seen from favorable position
and not too closely observed would delude
the very elect. We commend it as model
to artists in the scarecrow business II is ev-
ident that the crows had been making such
havoc in this field that something had to be
dina