The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-02-11
A GREAT GROWS RoOST.
An Interesting sight in the Vicinity of
Baltimore.

An Interesting sight in the Vicinity of
baltimore
A short distance. b,.vond the city Inn
its on the line oi the l;ailinurc and Ps.-
tnmac railroad. am inlrri -iin" siyhl i
witnessed by travellers in ihr laic after
noon trains. About / O'Clock IN The
afternoon large numbers of crows. the
inUSt Slrlkin" objects in our winiry land
Sc@Po. begin Ia cOn"rcrdic from Nar:ouS
parts nt thc country. Some have been
down Ia The pitIp-n river. while others
haE" spent Inc 'lV hear The hPldwaterS
Ol The Back. Bush. au,l GunDnwlcr riy-
erS. and even upon tn, banks oi The
Sn>quchannH. i;> dark aiI have re-
turned. and In, i.w tres on both sides
OF ihe railroad Track arr. covered with
thousands and Ih"u-an,is of these birds.
l his assembly of I!r. crows is known as
4 f7oSl. and has hr.n in existence for
many ycarS. changing each wear accord
IN" t" the destruction If the trees Now,
CROWS as We'll - other birds fiy south
ward upon The approach of cold wealth
or, and ii IS said that whenever large
numbers remain here il is a sign that
the winter Will I've mild. This wear -
many more have remained that the pre-
sumption is either that the weather will
be unusually open, or the crows. who
are so intelligent in other matters, are
failures as weather prophets. Grows
resort to their winter roost in the early
!a!l, rs soon aS their yonng have been
sufficiently trained in thieYing and rob-
berry to help support themselves They
congre gate at this time for mutual pro-
lection and maintenance
They have perfect sentry system by
which they are warned OF the approach
Of enemies, and their particular foe. the
great horned and bubo owl This bird
dotes on crow. Place before him
plump fowl, mouse or Il blackbird,
which he would generally devour. then
bring TO him a scrawny crow. and he
will turn from the other food and seize
it with ayidity. Consequently. when
crows light upon the bubo. they SUM-
mon their fellows and apparently he
come obliyiOus 10 everything else, So
great is their rage al having within
their power u mortal enemy Several
will dash at him aud beat about him
with outspread wings. Driven 10 dc,-
peratiOn he will tiy away. and will I'M
mcdiatelv he followed bv Il black cloud
oI tormentnrs, whose angry, noisy cav
INC will be heard when they are a long
distance away. 1t Is suggested in This
connection that farmers who are frouh-
led by the TiSitaliOnS OF crows should
catch bubo owl and Tie him in some
wood. Then, living in cOncealmeut with
their guns. they would in q short time
be able 10 play great havoc among the
pests OF the cOIm-iclds, for where the
bub0 is there will the crows be gathered
together. No, the crow will not b..
frightened away by the odOr Of gunpoW-
der. Small boys say that l. WHY one
can not shoot Il crow. But 1t doesn't
require Il very great while for the crow.
who can. with his kinsman. the raven.
become 80 well educated as 10 talk and
learn TO commit suicide by eating sui
phur matches. In discover that the man
down yondrr carries an implement
which. if he can approach near enough,
he will point toward the flock; there
will be Il flash, Il curl OF smoke. a re-
port. some black feathers will llv into
the air. and down 10 the ground will
tumble in ungraceful curves one or more
crows whose pilferings are now i. an
end. 80 much for their self-prcscrva-
ton.
be almost omnivcrou>. In summer time
they viii content them selves with eating
the eggs of smaller birds. smaller bird, |
themselves. ynun@ chickens. grain. !
mice. etc. But when lee and snow have |
bound everything almost in nature. the |
crows are hard put 10 secure food and !
trink. Then they rra>el in large flock. |
eVying upon barnyards. searching in |
ets or creeks Tor dead fish or other ofTal. |
ieasting upon some dead animal or |
other carrion. and when very hungry |
q disabled hare Some lew |
winters ago such was The scarcity of |
heir food in the country that they |
'shirled through the principal streets of |
The city. and beating down the river |
following the wake of the iceboat formed |
q black fringe upon the edges Of the |
newly plrwed ice. in search of drink |
and food. Though the crow follows |
driving the raven before it.
he is Il most cautious creature. and dis |
plays great intelligence in eluding |
snares or dangers OF any kind. For |
several months the crows will bide at /
their roost at night, flying away during |
the day and returning at evening in q
straight line, from which they will !
deviate only to aid one of their fellows.
They will 60 to almost any ends 10 do
his, and the large open field in Druid
Hill park has been seen black with
them. tapping their wings and uttering
their cries over the mishap TO one Of
them.
In the early spring the roost is desert
ed, and mating be gins Then each crow
selects certain region Of which he is
sole monarch, and no other crow dare
trespass there unless summoned for as
sistance. People differ as TO the balance
between the good and bad qualities of
the crow. While he may destroy the
eggs and young OF smaller and useful
birds. and commit such depredations
upon the corn-fields as TO cause the hus-
bandman 10 go to great deal ot trouble
in devising scare-crowS Yet he renders
service 10 the farmer in destroying grub
worms, moles. snakes. and n0viOus in-
sects. His characteristics may be
up as follows: The crow is as
wise as the serpent and as harmless as
the English sparrow, ,-BGifilaOrr San.