The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-05-03
WINGED scAvENoBRs.


draw no pay, report to no official, but
are protected by law from molcstation.
They are the crows who flock in town
rs regularly as cold weather comes, stay
during the winter and vanish in the
spring
Each evening as the shadows fak
legions of crows wing their way in
seemingly endless flight to the willow
copscs aud clumps of small cottonwood
trees ON the banks of the Missouri where
they roost for the night.
A favoritc haunt Is ut the bend of the
river, between Cut-Of and Florence
Lakes, where the banks shelter the
northwest wind, says the Omaha World.
The air is thick with sable wings aud
resonant with hoarse caws there after
sunset each night, as the scavcngcrs
settle down among ihc branches to
dream of back.arca lunches and car
rion spreads.
With the break of day the sable flock
bestirs itself. Each member hops about
to warm its chilled legs, stretches its
shiny wings and heads back toward the
city.
The vast flock breaks into small
groups and they alight here and there
on the tree tops and survey the back
yards and alleys until they can pick
out foraging places. Then they de.
scend and in short order tho remains of
the breakfasts, the scraps of meat from
markets and the rats killed by the
household dogs and cats are gobbled up.
Some crows do scavcngcr work about
| the residences Others alight eau
| tiously in the alleys and others arc at
oil IA 10 ,,,.r
| houses at South Omaha. They fight
SHY of the business blocks.
The crow who inhabits the Missouri
is of the same breed with The crow who
| pulls up the farmers $ corn IN Vermont.
In the East he is nuisance. The
granger shoots him on sight, tries to
| the corn into coal tar before he plants
IL, in the hope that II will spoil the
pretty ravens appetite.
Two healthy New England crows can
devastate twenty-acrc corn field If
nnmolested. But the crow who mi
CRATES to the West becomes a respected
resident, and nobody asks What was
! your name back East? ~ or asks how he
stood with the farmers. He mates with
clipper Dinah crow In clump of
| WILLOWS vi lut DOltOIlS, Nltl Ill utlt
time they hatch out nest of hungry
| crOwlets.
The father rustles for grasshoppers,
bugs and toads, while the youngsters
are growing their pin-fcathers AS
soon as they can fly their mother leads
them away from the communicating in
fluences of the city, into the pure,
green country, and the whole family
turnes loose upon the vermin and in
sects.
None of them ever trouble the corn
fields, and none of the farmers ever.
trouble them. During the fall they
pick up the loose grain, and now and
then play free lunch iiend on the corn
fields. ..i.
In the West much of the corn is left
standing in the fields during the winter,
while in the East it is stored in the
barn before snow falls. Perhaps this
apparent generosity on the part of the
farmer in Nebraska has something to
do with the improved conduct of the
bird.
However this may be, the bird in the
Missouri Valley does not rely upon the
corn.feld, summer or winter, for sub
sistence. Nebraska, Iowa and Mis-
souri, crows rendezvous largely at Peru,
in this State.
1t is a famous. roost for them and has
attracted the attention of naturalsts.
Professor Taylor of the Normal School
/ at Peru has made n close study of the
habits OF these crows and is writing u
series of papers to be published in an
Eastern magazine on that subject.
Meantime the sable crow continues to
spend his summers in the country and
his winters in the city, following the
fashion which his wealthiest biped
patrons set for themselvcs.-l Exchange.
But He Knew His Gait.
He had come here a stranger and got
in with the boys. lie looked innocent
and there was buttcrmilk in his breath
and pumplSin-pie in his talk. He seemed
10 have plenty of money, and y com.
pound was prepared for him to swal-
low. The other day he was invited to
take drive. Itwas so arranged after a
little that he could not fail to notice
certain things, and he had to feel Obliged
to ask.
my dear boy, you look troubled"
"Yes. am in deep trouble.
"What Is 1t? am your friend, and
If can do anything you have only to
command. 4"
IL hate to mention II.
"Pshawl There should be no hesita
tion between friends"
live got note of $400 to meet
at the bank, and-and ] haven't got the
money"
"Isthat all9 Why, my dear fellow
J. insist that you accept my check fol