The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-12
TOO MUCH FOR A CROW.

From Century.
The crow has fine manners. He al
ways has the walk and air of a lord OF
] the soil One morning put out some
/ fresh meat upon the snow near my
| study window. Presently a crow came
and carried it off. and alighted with il
upon the ground in the vineyard.
| While he was eating Of Il, another crow
came, and, alighting n few yards away,
| slowly walked up to within few feet
| of his fellow, and stopped. l expected
| TO see a struggle over the food, as
would have been the case with dones-
| tic fowls or animals Nothing Of the
| kind The feeding crow stopped eat
| ing, regarded the other for moment,
| made a gesture or two. and flew away.
Then the second crow went up 10 the
! food and proceeded 10 take its share.
! Presently the first crow came back,
when each seized portion Of the food
and few away with il. Their mutual
respect and goodwill seemed perfect.
/ Whether IL really was 50 in our human
sense. or whether ii was simply an
illustration Of the instinct Of mutual
support which seems 20 prevail among
gregarious birds, I know not. Birds
that are solitary in their habits, like
hawks or woodpeckers. behave quite
differently toward one another N the
presence Of their food.
The lives Of wild creatures revolve
about two facts or emotions, appetite
and fear. Their keenness in discover
ing food and in discovering danger are
alike remarkable But man can nearly
always outwit them. because while
his perceptions are not 50 sharp,
his power Of reflection is much
greater. His cunning carries
great deal further. The crow viii
quickly discover anything that LOOKS
like a trap or snare set 70 catch hun.
but IL takes him long time 20 see
through the simplest contrivauce. As
! have above stated. sometimes place
meat on the snow in front OF NJ study
window TO attract him
On one occasion. after a couple ~
crows had come 20 expect something
there daily, suspended piece % meat
by string from = branch % ne tee
just over the spot WHERE ! usually
placed the food A crosT soon CiScov-
cred IL and came into the tree % zee
what il meant. His suspicious were
aroused There was some design iu
that suspended meat. evidently. il
was trap 20 catch him lie Surveyed
f. from ever near branch Re peeked
and pied. and was ben: on penetrating
ths unvsterT. lie Heyv . the y-uund.
and walked about and surTsye1 = from
al sides Then he took q louS -FzIx
down about he vineyard a. Z n hope
~ hitting upon sOr7e cle1T. Tarn h /
came 20 the tree again. and tr.-d 1rst 4
ore eye then tae ot1er, Epon lt- then 4
% the ground beneath. then be went 4
away and came back. thsa h.s feiLosy f.
cane. and they both sqaiated snd IN 4
Testiyated and then q isapp~ared- 4
SaiSzds-s and vooipsczers would 4
saghr -pon The meat ard p@rs y 4
swinging II - wind bat ne c-oxs
we're fearful Dos this snow rcs~S-
F.; onr Perhapz 2 does To. look spoz
i rather "a "a, instinct q fezr ana
cunning - ci4s-zctsrist,c - tae crow
TVso days psts-1 thus- every mo-usng
tar crows cane and sarrcysd TIE sus-
peod~e meat from a. po.ats IN -.
--se znd thea a~r- away TIE :hird
czr placed = large boae % - saoS
beEests iae sgs9rodse S.Orss- 49,.