Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-02
CROWS AND THEIR WAYS.


dangers Of the cornfeld, the crows
may not risk their precious necks
there, they find plenty of other mis-
chief Their winters fare has been
meagre, and their sooty feathers cover
a gaunt and hungry body. May and
June shall bring them rccompense
These are the crows feast months, and
a sad feast it is for the little birds of
sweetcr voice. His prying eye peers
into every thicket and fencerow, and il
be discovers birdsncst, in twink
ling eggs or iledglings have disappear
ed in his hungry nav, while the par
ent birds cry in helpless bereavement
and the big black robber derides them
in grating scream. l seldom find
pleasure in taking life, but to play the
avenger at such times always account
a piece of rare good luck.
Probably more of our song-birds are
destroyed by the crow than by all their
other enemies combined. The destruc-
ton falls heaviest, too, on the shyer,
rarer birds who nest in the thick woods,
for the commoner species seem to have
found that the shade-trees and orchard
are safer places for their precious nests
than the forest.
The insoct-cating birds which the
crow destroys are the farmers best
friends. For this reason then the
farmer should be. as he generally is,
the crows implacable enemy. 1t will
not tend to soothe this enmity if, as
often happens, some little white lamb
opens his eyes to the pleasant May
sunshine only to have them picked out
by flock of the merciless raveners.
The crow, however, is too wary
| bird to be easily destroyed. Shotgun
range is pretty well known to him,
and he takes good care to keep man
| kind well beyond it. 70 kill one with
a rifle requires something extra good
in either craftsmanship or luck by
stealing up to flock feeding on con
reniently-placed oilal, one can often
| Kill number at one shot.
The crows great inguisitivcness may
| lead him to destruction. His own call
cleverly initiated in thick woods,
will often bring him within range; but
if he discovers the imposture in time,
he will wheel quickly away, mocking
at you in derisiOn.
But all the black fellows smartness
is not sufficient for him to escape mans
various wiles. The Legislators of some
of the States offer bounties for him.
The naturalists, who once defended
him, now clamor for his death. And
guns and boys and poisoned grain are
thinning the black ilucks TO their
proper size.
Like all the rest of the animal world
the crow does not wish his race to be-
come extinct. In May the nocks
break up into amorous households of
two, and retiring to the unfrequented
woodlots, set about building their
nests. A tall hemlock or spruce with
thick top is generally the tree selected.
A few rough sticks and twigs for foun-
cation, with super-structure of softer
material, and the nest is ready for its
complement of four or five green and
brown eggs.
1t is mighty cradle in which the
young are rocked, as the great tree
sways back and forth in the Storm
Their lullaby is the soughing of the
breeze through the needles of the ever
greens. He who would spoil crows
nest must have no dizzy head.
The full-grown bird is far from
beautiful, but its tledgiing is homely
beyond comparison. l remember see
ing the fruit of a mornings nest rob-
berry, dozen or more lying in heap,
their ugly bodies dirty blush color.
AS they lay, with unopened eyes and
sprawling, naked limbs, a weak whine
almost their only sign of life, they
were so intensely ugly nat it seemed
deed OF kindness to put them out of the
way. 10 feed these rayenous little
creatures, the parent birds work early
and late, and many a little songster's
nest Is rltied OF its treasures to feed the
family in the hemlock top.
But the young crows have other en-
emies besides climbing boys. The
hawks must feed, and why not young
crow for dinner? The old birds are
apt to be on the watch, however. and
if hawk appears in sight they rally
all the blackies in the vicinity to the
chase, and hover over him in a scold-
ing, bawling mob. The hawk always
seems to take the matter very calmly,
and sails slowly along, only OCCASION
ally, when one Of his tormentors comes
too near, giving his wing an upward
tlrt, a sort of warning gesture, like
policeman swinging his club. | have
noticed they are careful not to fly
under the hawk, but give his talons
wide berth.
The crows nest is apt to be noisy
place, but when the young ones grow
old enough to add their voice to the
tumult the din grows tenfold worse.
No juvenile rooster trying his voice
comes shorter of his parents perform
ance than do these young crows of the
standard "caw." 1t is not until the
leaves have begun to turn that the
youngsters voices lose entirely their
infantlc rawness.
On the bright days Of late autumn
the black ilocks gather and gossip, as
they make meal, perhaps, in some
secluded corntield, and discuss the
probabilities of the coming winter. If
it be a mild one few will remain and
exc out scanty subsistence from the
bare woods and fields. But often the
whole flock seeks warmer climates;
and the farmer, as the SHOWS of Decem-
Der fill the air, says; Guess we're
going to have hard winter-all the
crows have gone. - CharteS Waiting
Baker, IN The Current.
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