The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-31
E. Fl. DILLON & co.

enough to hear the decoy calls. Se- lecting places where good shots could be secured the members of the party began to give the calls. Too high to be good shots the crows c1rcled about over the trees. It was evident that they could see their assailants. and they were cautious in 8 most ex- asperating manner. Three or four were winged, however, and the cries of these :is they fell created great confusion among the rest of the birds who flew about as if in the greatest fright.
 Fascinated by the Crow Call.
 After the first few trials something appeared tn frishten the birds. but later they began answering the calls in way that made -heir former re- sDoEses seem like amateurish rehear- sals. The storm advanced the dusk and, doubtless eager to get into the trees for the night, they began flock ing from all parts of the compass. ed, and while they seemed to be practically the same, one of them was found to have an effect upon the crows much greater than the other. The hunters nearly concealed them selves by the side of an uprooted whistle was given the excitement fin the upper air began.
 Whirling around above the trees the crows seemed to be, in 8 perfect pa- roxysm of excitement. Their caw- ing seemed to have all the different were thousands of them and the on- ly thing they could be compared to was giant Kaleidoscope in which the birds, reeeling and twisting, form ed untraceable figures without end against the smoky white sky.
 The cawing had a strangely hum an sound. Especially after two or three unusually loud blasts upon the decoy would they fill the air with their clamor. Some of the tones of a soprano. Some were as deep and rusty as those rave nthroats that croaked the entrance of Duncan to the hospitality of Macbeth and his lady.
 A Weird Scene.
 It was a fascinating and grotesque sight. There was an uncanny sound in the dull accompaniment given the croaking by the beating of so many here and there distorted in their graceful branches by great nests, the cold wet ground and the light that grew dimmer and dinner, added to the unreality of the scene. Now and then there would be a slight click from the hunters and a crow, making wild, ungraceful swoops in it's death agonies, would come reeling to the ground.
 Flew Like Great Black Cloud.
 Now and then some of the birds would settle in a tree, giving it's bare branches 8 startling foliage, but they would soon be in the air again. that would so suddenly drag com rade earthward, his wings useless to save him; unable to find who gave the cries of agony that called them continually, realizing that the moving forms beneath them was practically dark, they deserted the rookery and flew a great shadowy cloud towards the east
 It was too dark to see where they had gone and the hunters prepared to return home. Within rifle shot woods. One of the hunters shot at random towards this Far off could be heard the sound of bullet strik- ing a tree. perhaps. and then there vas a strange, startling noise like the rush of water over a fall. It was the rising of the birds from the trees in which they had alighted. Again they filled the air and their cries and the rush of their wings could be heard overhead, although Onty those ueareS tune earCn could be seen.
 No Solitary Raven.
 For how many years the crows have been coming to these places it is hard to learn. Their visits be- gan many years ago. That this winter has been one of unusual ac- tivity on their part seems certain Not only here but near Springfield, Mass. have they been observed in large n11n hers Tt is 60 id that there is one hill in the vicinity of Springfield where the crows have been coming year in and year out since the days of the Revolutionary War. Poe's melancholy lover quite evidently did not live in this vicinity, else no solitary raven would have visited him. About 5000 brothers sisters and cousins would have fought old Nevermore for his seat on the bust of Pallas.