The Lamar register., 1897-03-06


Rod Was Il not on
account OF the fact that our feathcred
friend was mainly instrumental In the
dissemination OF the undisestod seed
Of the cinnamon plant that a law was
passed forbidding the killing OF a crow
under the severest pcnaltiesf Most OF
the stories which are related OF the
sagaeity OF the crow and OF his power
Of acting In concert with others are so
incredible that / almost fear 10 com
promise my character for yeracity BY
repeating them. For instance. crows
have ben known 10 undo paper par
eel In order 10 pry into It's contents.
to unite the knot OF napkin inclos-
Ing provisions. TO remove the peg by
which the I'D OF basket Sas fastened
down-always with sorne unhallowed
object in view; TO hunt in couples after
a brood Of chicks. one diverting the al
;ention OF the hen-mother by repeated
feintE IN one direction, while the other
made OF with the coveted prey. etc
That they have a language Of their
own, though undistinKuishable 70 our
ears. by which they readily eommuni-
cate intelligence give warning. secure
assistance. and combine 70 act In def-
mite way. is only too evident Point bat
a gun a; a crow. and the warning cry
OF "Garel Care" or something similar
is at once raised from the nearesi out
post and echoed and re-echoed from
every tree for miles around: and for
many a long day that spo; win be care
fully Stunned by every crow In the
neighborhood. Put a substitute a stick.
oruteh or broom for a gun aad he win
laugh you in the face and positively
call his fellows TO come and defy you
with iaunts and yells of derfsiye laugh
ter. The most notable instance how
ever, which / have seen OF their power
OF acting in concert. and apparently
after due deiiberatiou. was what wit-
messed on a certain occasion OF the pro-
ceedings OF an immense multitude OF
crows and which had all the semblance
OF an open-aiT criminal court; or. rath-
er, Of the summary mode OF trial and
execution pursued by vigilance commit
tees under the sanction OF lynch law
II was at noon and was driving past
the Colombo esplande. when my atten-
ton was drawn to a gathering OF the
Grow clan in large numbers. They ap-
peared to come from the east and the
west, from the north and the south sim
ultaneously and. for the most part, 81
lently. Perched on the branches OF
some large trees which stood at dis
tance and occupying irregular but com
manding positions along the seaside
were stationed certain noisier brethren
apparently engaged on sentinel duty.
but eawing their eternal khaa khaa
with yehemenee and energy which
seemed to denote some occurrence OF
more than ordinary import. Perhaps
like the "oyezl Oyer of the town crier
their hoarse. monotonous cries were a
summons to all good citizens to assem-
BILE forthwith in the interests of public
justice. Presently there was sort of
an arrangement of the black forces
Serried ranks formed kind of square
all the birds hopping on the ground.
save those on outpost duty, till the
greensward presented almost a funereal
appearance, while In the center. under
the custody of some special constables,
an unfortunate crow culprit was care
fully guarded, not without sundry
pecks and raps on the head and other
reminders peculiar to the force There
was a brief silence while the president
of the tribunal appeared to be asking