The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-04-25
A GREAT CROW STORY.
a Million Corn SteaIers i'm
PenmsyIyamfa Woods.

High Knob, in the southwestern part
of this county, was choppiDg in the
woods about half way up the noun
tain on Saturday last. he was attract
ed by a flock of crows which appear
ed suddenly from a southern direc-
ton aud alighted in high tree 100
yards away. After great deal of
loud cawing the flock arose and flew
away in the direction from which
they had come. Trauel then went
on with his work.
About the middle of the afternoon,
an hour after the crows had taken
their departure, he happened to look
southwark, and saw that the sky was
black with some approaching object.
In few minutes he discovered that it
was an immense flock of crows, which
soon swept into the Knob woods, and
with thunder of wings and deafen-
ing clamor of throats settled down
into the trees. whose leafess branches
became blackened with the birds
from top to bottom. For three hours
FLOCK AFTER FLOCK OF CROWS
poured into the woods, until the side
of the hill for a space of more than
forty acres was covered so thickly
with them that big branches were
split from the trees beneath their
weight. 1t was nearly dark when
the last flock found a resting place
in the woods, and midnight came be-
fore quiet was restored in the vast
congregation.
The crows remained in the woods
until yesterday. Early every morn
ing flocks would start out from the
colony, taking different directions,
and after being absent for an hour
or so would one after another return
Their arrival was greeted with the
widest commotion all through the
woods, vociferous cawing and flap
ping of wings being kept up for some
minutes. Then other focks would
90 out, to be met with the same hub
bub on their return. The news of
the great crow roost spread around
the thinly- settled region, and people
came from far and near to hear and
see the crows.
On Monday a number of the ma
tives agreed that it would be good
thing, now that they had apparently
all the crows there were in the coun-
try within reach. to make nightly
raids on them, and thus save a great
deal of of future loss to corn fields.
Accordingly, a party of seven, armed
with guns and long poles, and some
of them carrying torches, began the
work of destruction. They reached
the woods where the crows were sleep
ing about o'clock. The torches
were lit, and the raiders entered the
woods. They had not proceeded far
when they were greeted with yell
of defiance from 100000 crows. The
yell was followed by hundreds Of the
birds boldly attacking the invading
party, using both beak and claw
with such effect that the surprised
backwoodsmen were forced to flee to
save themselves. They were fol-
lowed to the edge of the woods by
fiocks of Infatuated crews. and not a
shot was fired nor crow killed.
THE DEPARTURE.
Yesterday morning for the first
time not flock left the woods, but
all was hustle, connection, and noise
among the crows. The entire colony
seemed to be in motion among the
trees. Crows were darling in all di-
rections, uttering peculiar cries, and
evidently anxious to be everywhere
at once. just before noon matters
became comparatively quiet, and
then small flocks began to emerge
from the woods, going in all direc-
tions. This exodus continued until
late in the afternoon, when every
crow had disappeared, and none
came back. The scene in the piece
of woods they had occupied is de-
scribed as remarkable. Every tree
had one OF more branches torn from
it, and they lay piled about on the
ground as if the trees had been swept
by a whirlwind. Every foot of
ground was torn up, plainly by the
crows searching for insects for food.
"Every spring." says an old citizen
of this village, ethe crows, like wild
pigeons, gather somewhere about the
country to do their counting and
mate. This spring they happened to
select the High Knob, because the
scouts they sent out to get place
for them liked it, and guided the rest
to the spot. AS the love-making pro-
crosses focks of crows go out to Sc
lect good nesting and foraging places.
They come back to the roost and re-
port, and a grand discussion is had
on that. After these matters are all
settled, and every crow is mated, they
form into flocks of twenty or SO, and,
after they bid each other goodby,
leave for the respective nesting places
selected for them. Last Monday
forenoon, when there was such a
commotion among the crows on the
Knob, they were taking leave of one
another. There will probably never
be another crow roost in this part of
the country. Next year it may be
in Kentucky"