News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-05-21
A GREAT CROW ROOST.
HOW TIE BIRDS MAKE THINGS LIVE.
LY IN BUSHkILL, PA.
A Million Corn Stenlers Capture the Woods
and AstOund the Natives.

hO" It 3IhDS MA n E
| LY IN BUSHkILL, PA.
Million Corn StenIers Capture the Woods
and AstOund the Natives.
A letter from Bushkill, Pa, dated
April 14th, says:-As Simon Trauel, a
farmer, living near High Knob, in the
southwestern portion of this county,
was chopping in the woods about half
way up the mountain on Thursday last,
he was attracted by flock of crows
which appeared suddenly from south
ern direction and alighted in q high
tree hundred yards away. After q
great deal of loud cawing the flock
arose and flew away in the direction
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 south
ward, and saw that the sky was black
with some approaching object. In a
few minutes he discovered that it was
a immense flock of crows, which soon
swept into the Knob woods, and with
thunder of wings and deafening clamor
Of throats settled down into the trees,
whose leafess branches became black
ened 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 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 crow found
resting place in the woods, and mid
night came before quiet was restored in
the vast congregation.
The crows remained in the woods
until last Monday. Early every morn,
ing fiocks would start out from the col
ony, 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, vo-
ciferous cawing and Tapping of wings
being kept up for some minutes. Then
other focks would go out, to be met
with the same hubbub on their return.
The news of the great crow roost spread
around the thinly-settled region, and
people came from far and near to see
and hear the crows.
On Saturday number of the natives
agreed that it would be a good thing,
now that they had apparently all the
crows there were in the country within
reach, to make nightly raids on them,
and thus save a great deal of future loss
to cornfelds. Accordingly, party OF
seven, armed with guns and long poles,
and some of them carrying torches, be-
gan the work of destruction. They
reached the woods where the crows were
sleeping about nine o'clock. The
torches were lit, and the raiders entered
the woods. They had not proceeded far
when they were greeted with a yell Of
defiance from 100, 900 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 10 save themselves.
They were followed to the edge of the
woods by focks of infuriated crows, ano
not shot was fred nor crow killed.
On Monday morning, for the first
time, not a flock left the woods, but all
was hustle, commotion, and noise among
the trees. Grows were darting in all
directions, uttering peculiar cries, and
evidently anxious to be everywhere at
once. Just before noon matters became
comparatively quiet, and then small
focks began to emerge from the woods,
going in all directions. 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 or more branches torn from it. and
they lay piled about on the ground as Ii
the trees had been swept by whirl-
wind. Every foot of ground was tori
up, plainly by the crows searching foi
insects for food.
"Eyery spring" says an old citizen OF
the village, 'the crows, like wild
pigeons, gather somewhere about tbs
country to do their courting and mate.
This spring they happened to select the
High Knob, because the scouts they
sent out liked it, and guided the rest to
the spot. AS the love-making pro-
crosses focks Cf crows go out to select
good nesting and foraging places. They
come back to the roost and report, and
a grand discussion is had on that. After
these matters are all settled, and every
crow is mated, they form into hocks oi
twenty or so, and, after they bid each
other good-by, leave for the respective
nesting places selected for them. Mon
day forenoon, when there was such a
commotion among the crows on the
Knob, they were taking leave of one an
other. There will probably never bt
another crow roost in this part of the
country. Next year it may be in Ken
lucky"