Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1885-06-16
ANTECEDENTS. FAMILY con-
NECTlONS AND HABITS or
THE CROW.

family Is generally DARK. sometime.
black. BAT also a. times q gay oolor-.
particularly IA the tropics. The birds
q this species arr widely diiiased over
ihe woili. are q rapid aight; some are
solitary. sni others gtegafious. IN their
hAhrs. Thsy are very OmuivsFous, "a
ing cvsyiting indi.erimina'ely and are
sl.o remarkable f1r 'heif intelhgeuce,
tbsir oauo-iiy. and disposition 10 steal
snd 'scr,ts gitt,ring ARTICLES.
The large., specie. q ihis geuus !. ihe
Raven. ~hich sometimes aiiains the
enofUoos .irs u TO feet from The ex-
trrmity Of till % Up a tail. The bul d.
it.ck ani soms~ hai Compfes.ed a. thc
s,ies The ~ings arc bog. ex'cnding
from zip to 'ip ffy t-o iuche' ih-
colof !. uuiiofm black ths raven l.
iound IN almost al parts Of tte uo-ioefn
tsmisphsre. Bat most abandantll ia the
more nof'hsrn and mountainous portions
of n. The tav,n is gvncfally % b. seen
either solitary O. In pairs Il fed on
fruits and na'. IN iorysts 4 plcks up
~orms o. uollscs D, sucks eges ii kills
Young hare. of even lambs it rsi ..ces IN
carrion. ard no, unfisqueaily attacks
~eak - sickly beasts. almost Invariably
choosing their eyes a. iis tfs, point OF
assault Il generally makes iis nesi Of
.,.cks. coarse weeds. ~ooi, hair. etc. IN
focky placr.. on the nsrro~ ledge Of a
pf,c.p,ce. % in some similar situation.
he raven j. cslsbfa,rd IL, iis longeviiy.
instances having been recoficd Of its
Fving % bel seventy cf eighty years Of
az.
TIE Rnok also bslongs % this family,
and = vefy oommoa in the southern Paft
q Britain. and !. found Ia many pafts Of
Europe. ard Asa. even % Japan lhe
tab.fs q the rook afs soreshst different
from those Of the oummon eros. a. thry
rather choose ihs neighbofhncd oi hamaa
habiiations % build their nesis. and sc,k
ths.r food In cultivated fields A'so.
~ti.c the common cros is solitary in iis
habits. ihs fook b. gfssariols ADD oii-n
assemblies in larsc numbers in rn'sfriff,
making their ns.t. ia close proximity.
the same trre often sus'ainir gmanY nests
Ttsy are rsmaikatis iof the cate they
take o. guafd against saddsn alarms
~hile frsiing. ics oi ihfr numoft o.
ing ai~ays on guard % ~afn those feed
,ng of approaching danger lhel seem
20 kros its dangerous character ~ Asan
ard nil not allos nan 20 approach
ihem a. readily u be- carriss one a. They
~li n be- has nothing IN his hands
sf.ck will also alarm them. A hofse and
carnage all b. slio~ed o. apprrAch
much nearer than a man on foot. And
q passing railroad train does DOT shrei
them any. The quss'ion Of the useful
rsss or misChevuus character Of ihe
rook seems % dspcnd almost ~hoiiy upon
ihsir numhers. Up % certain numoef
their food might consist almost wholly oi
insects snd slugs that Would b. irJafinas
ta tte farnisr. but ~hrn fhsif numhe's
ircr.sss bs,ond that hmi'. ihs.' ha7sef
i. apt Co dfiye thea % t.ke fuod ihai
ma sht ro, b. .o Agreeable 20 hin.
Tts J.ckda@ d. sl.o q nemh-f u ih-
cro~ family o. b. .nAli-r than 'hr cf'".
i,s length bsing onlY shuui ''u''rrn
irchss l. De- commln ir hf' sin. hif'p~'
A.is. ani 'h- nasfh-fn pet A'''c' nai
~ b. nui f,und in Ausfica / o"lo' 10
back. ~rh d.fk-g'sy neCk ihe J'cs-
de- avs from four 60 s~ssn sgss oi
t'u,.h ~tre colnf. covered ~th dsfk
tro-n spots Wonderful s'or-s afe 'o.d
of ,hs quantity of sicks employed 'o
form iackta~s pest In lsil. ia ~
enteen day. pair of Jsckia~s made a
ti.r. ten frvt hish. in the staircase oi
ths bsI-,o-er ~ E.on Colisge. Ihe
iackdaw soci,l bird. j. easily tanned
.ni becomes very pert aud familiar.
o. E,s'.nd. there are too 'Pee'r' OF
ihe Cfo~ propsf the commln % cannon
cro~. ard the Rags'on o. hoodsd eros
Tt-v dif.r from each other chFhy in
color. The csrnon cfos being oiscs and
tte tooi-i eros gray. ~i'h black head
throat. wings and tail Both Of these
sp,cic. have habit. much more ressmo.'
isg The raven than the foos; they sei-
dom o. never associate together IN = : ~
.,d no, only prefer carrion 20 insects
wofms. Or vegetables, bat watch aud a.
tack very weak animals. such as loans
l.mb. Ca this account = premium =
siven. IN many place.. for their de''rae'
f,on. snd g.ms-ke,pefs relenilessly Pur-
..e them on sccoun, of their rooo'ns
ns.,s. from Which they take egg. OF the
helpless youug.
Ihs Crow Il North America u very
similar % the cauion eros. bat - rather
smaller. and after the breeding season =
over. eons.esA,es into great h'cks q =
also partially migratory. great nnnor''
from The more northsrly parts moving 10
The .oa,h on The approach Of sin'sf Us
h.bi,. arv oih~r~ise intermsdiAie between
The earrioa cro~ and the rook.
The red-lsgged ero~ is the Chough'
. hird somewhat resembling the staring
inksbiting the s~iss Alps. the hisn
mountains of Spain. Greece. India ana
Persia. the south Of Siberia and the nof'h
Of Africa.
The name Of earrion crow given TO ,hs
Enslish bird mus, no, Be eonfounaed
.i,h The earrion crow Of America lhi'
name being gwen 10 species Of Sul's'r,
called. al.o. the black vuliure. a o''o
found in the southern parts OF NORM
Amenca, not too feet in length. OF
a-rp-bl.ck color. the bead and nsek CO.
v.rsd -ith ~sr,y exeresenoes ana ieN
hair-like feathers.
N, wal be seen that. While there are
certain differences ia habits and iAmiil
eh.r.e,er.tio.. there Is in common 'h.'
vor.eious appetite. hat th'esins d'-P-l'
uou and love Of mischirf 30 'hA''
-be,hsr tDey are the farmers enemy -
not. depends principally upon ther nun
h.,.. in ~e are correct In tn soPPos'
ion that crows only attach birds nests
I'D snail animals When th-re = 'es'e"y
a o,hsr fod. tins crime shoald ee some