The San Francisco call., 1909-11-27
THECROW
BY CHARLEs. CHRIsTADORA

TVND as I write this a pair of carrion
over my tent uttering a hoarse.
cultural cav. cav, as they hurry toward
the beach to pick up with the gulls
the riffraff from the ocean scattered
here and there along the surf kissed
sands. imagine they are not par
ticular, although I have seen jelly fish
on tile beach quietly melting under
the suns rays into nothingness, and
guess it is because of this nothingness
that the crows pass them by. Yet
this jelly fish, low form of animal life
as it is, when in its native element
makes a very pretty picture We watch
one as it comes gently drifting through
the water under our glass bottom
boat and we note the great mushroom
shaped body, cream color and striped
with brown, and we see the long tail
that it drags after it ragged and torn
at the end where the fish in wanton
play or hunger have nipped at it. It's
bell like shape and beautiful markings
and gentle undulating movement
through the limpid blue water cer-
tainfy make pretty picture for the
time being.
But back to the crows. Watch them
as with their sharp eyes and prying,
inquisitive beaks they patrol the
shore, veritable beach cofnbers, the
original beach combers. Anything that
looks good even is turned over and in
vestigated. No chances are taken lest
something good to eat should be passed
over
Watch those two Portuguese who are
cleaning and sailing barracuda. They
have made a fine catch off the kelp
beds. where these salt water pickerel
like to hide and watch for their prey,
and heading and cutting and sailing
them down are keeping the men now as
busy as bees They are working in
hip boots knee deep in the water. the
bay being quiet and no sea or surf on
to bother them.
How the guils swarm by the hun
dreds, and how the earrion crows lick
their chops and await in the offing
for their turn. They will not go hum
CRY today, for the heads of the fishes
will be left for them, the more desir-
able offal being appropriated by the
gulls, And strange how the gulls fight
and snarl and chew the rag" although
lnere Is more lnans enough TO go the
rounds. But the gull is very human in
his ways. There may be "a better NOR
sci at his feet or floating near by, yet
he must attack a gull who already is
doing his best to take in a generous
morsel, and try to take it from him,
suspicious of the better Judgment of
that gull and distrustful of his own.
just as some store keepers will mark
things sold and under pressure sell
them to YOU at a little higher price
than an article alongside just as good.
One by one the guils can hold no
more. and, voraeious, hungry nature
satisfied, they fly off to arnearby perch
upon a moored boat or upon a pier and
take an after dinner nap. And now
the crows come into their own All,
what feasti
Here spread out on the sands and
below the shallow receding tide water
is meal that more than satisfies their
cravings, and they, too, arrive at a
stage where emo is emo" and they,
too. fly away. The crow is a hungry
bird, but even to his expansive stom-
ach there is limitation. The crow is
a useful bird, especially the carrion
crow, and although black he should
have no black marks chalked up
against him. Any one visiting a beach
for stroll will testify to this.