The Portland daily press., 1888-11-01
BIRD COURTS OF JUSTICE.
Trials at Crow and stork
Tribunals.
Popular Science Monthly,

Several writers have given descriptions of
proceedings of assemblies of birds of various
speciesii which they regarded as formal
trials in court" While the view of the
nature of the transactions noticed can not
yet be accepted as established by competent
observation, they are certainly of an inter-
esting character, and reveal peculiar phase
of bird-life. Dr. Edmondson describes regu-
lar assemblies of crows of the hooded spe-
cies-"crow courts" they are called-which
are held at certain intervals in the Shetland
Isles. A particular hill or field suitable for
the business is selected, but nothing is done
till all are ready, and consequently the ear
lier c0mers have sometimes to wait for a day
or two till the others arrive. When all have
come, the court opens in formal manner,
and the presumed criminals are arraigned at
the bar. A general croaking and clamor are
raised by the assembly, and judgment is de-
livered. apparently, by the whole court. As
soon as the sentence given the entire assem-
blage, Judges, barristers, ushers, audience
and all, fall upon the two or three prisoners
at the bar, and beat them till they kill them"
AS soon as the execution Is over the court
breaks us, and all its members disperse
quietly
The Rev. DR.. ]. Edmund Cox has given the
particulars of trial by rocks which he wit
messed between fifty and sixty years ago.
He was riding along quiet road in the vicin-
lty OF Norwich, England, when he was
startled by sounds of an extraordinary COM
motion among the inhabitants of an adjacent
rookery. Securing his horse to gate. he
cautiously crawled for 100 feet or so to a gap
in the hedge of grass field to investigate
going on. The criminal rook "at first ap- a
peared very perky and jaunty, although
encircled by abeut forty or fifty Of an evil
IDENTIFY indignant sable fraternity, and as
sailed by the incessently vehement cawing of
an outer ring, consisting of many hundreds,
each and all showing even greater indigna-
tion than was manifested by the more select
number" Even the scouts, although hover
ing about in all directions. were so deeply
absorbed in the proceedings that they failed
to notice the uninvited spectator. After
a short time the manner of the accused was
seen suddenly and completely to change; his
head bowed, his wings dropped and he cawed
family. as If impl0ring mercy. The inner
circle closed In upon him and pecked him to
pieces in few moments, leaving nothing but
a mangled carcass. The whole assembly
then set up tremendous screaming and dis
persed, some seeking the adjacent rookery,
but the greater number flying away across
the fields. 1t is commonly known that rocks
are addicted to pilfering, and that If the rob-
berry is detected the offender is punished. 1t
has been noticed that young rocks will often
pilfer twigs or other useful materials from the
nests of their elders with which to build their
own domiciles quickly, although they are too
cunning to be caught in the act, only commit
ting their thefts when both the owners of the
nest are absent, the robbery seems always to
get known When the crime has been DIS
covered and proved, eight or ten rocks are
apparently deputed to act on behalf of the
whole community, they proceed to the CON
vict's nest, and in few moments scatter it
to the winds
An Alpine tourist relates that, during an
So. &l,aC Cxxrsoe nfo;.x L.
IDENTIFY came upon small secluded glen,
which was surrounded by trees, and became
the unexpected witness Of singular spec
tacle. About sixty or seventy ravens were
ranged in ring round one of their fellows,
evidently reputed culprit. and. with much
elatter OF tongues and wings, were engaged
intervals they paused in their debate, in
order to permit the accused to reply, which
he did most vociferously and with intense
energy; but all his expostulations were
speedily drowned in deafening chorus of
dissent Eventually, the court appears to