The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-17
BY WILLIAM r. COLLINS
linz SnsciaI Writer

A flock Of ravens separated itself
from the black green spruce forest
covering Coffin island on the south
Nova Scotia shore and slowly few
over the half mile OF intervening
water separating the island from
the main land at Beach Meadows.
Cracking gutturally. they covered
the space between the wide sand
beach and the sparsely cultivated
acres Of the thrifty fishermen near
Eagle Head N a few minutes flying
at a lower and still lower cleva-
ton until the flight assumed low
visibility against the gray green
brackens.
Suddenly one raven left the flight
and dropped heavily on a low stone
dixie. another swerved left and an
other right. wheeling as though I'M
der explicit instructions to alight IN
nearby spruce trees.
Descend to Eat
The major part of the black
squadron continued another hun
dred feet and slowly settled in an
open field across the road and hard
under another bleak stone fence
Beyond the fence was a road and
topping a cut bank on the farther
side was a gray shingled fish drying
house.
The entire cavalcade of gluttons
fell heartily to eating fish offal
thrown out on the small field by
the owner who, according to Nova
Scotia custom was preparing his
next season garden with fertilizer.
A brief period Of silence broken
only by the distant roar of the gray
Atlantic surf beating out its brains
against a hardbitten coast. then.
"Blaml Blooey" A thick cloud of
black powder smoke held against
the side OF the fish house then
lazily drifted of to merge into the
blue haze of a sea turn day.
Old Peter NOggler appeared sober
~ in the door of his fish house. a
great ten-gauge goose gun in his
arm crook and surveyed the slaugh-
ter remarking:
"Ten-eleven ravens. Not so pad.
If a body doesn't keep his weather
eve on his garden those croaGers
Will take the whole lading. -ilge,
bile and belly. They are worse than
the herring gulls and they are bad
enough. Taint hardly use to try to
keep them out. but I can't waste
all those cod fish cheeks"
Cost to Farmers is Heavy
In another country a lesser raven
called a crow flies in flocks num-
bering into the thousands. The
farmers are not content with them
but paSsively submit to his depre-
datiOnS. Annually ne costs the soil
tillers thousands of dollars in illicit
booty
Nothing is sacred TO him: every
thing is grist for his gizzard. His
day starts early and lasts late and
he eats and eats. Eggs, young
chickens. wild bird fledgings. bee
ties. CutwOrmS and corn, sprouts;
sometimes beneficial. but mostly not.
Canny as an Aberdeen Scot. he
knows exactly how TO gang a nest
ing hen, wild duck or pheasant. 1
have witnessed a wild hen duck
leave her nest in mad panic to es-
cape their black ivory bills that
would have blinded her and have
seen them carry away her entire
clutch of eggs.
They are the major public enc
mics among the egg destroyerS to-
day in the United States and Can
ada. and TO them can be attributed
the principal reason for the scar
city Of Wild mallard ducks.
Crows Use Waterman
And if you think you are a clever
sportsman. go out with your gun
and try TO shoot just one crow.
Dash along a country road. Over
there is a field is a flock Of feed
ing crows. As long as your car
keeps moving there they eat. a
wonderful shot. Stop the car and
you can't unlimber your gun before
they are gone. Don't try to sneak
IN on one. over in a tree. out of
sight. is a Waterman. When you
are nearly il range, up he jumps
and squalls out in a milcWide
voice. "Cawi Cav" Then a pause.
Again. cav Cawl" 1t means,
Look out Look outl'
And every crow within hearing
knows exactly where YOU are, and
I sometimes believe knows your
name. make Of your gun, its caliber
and the size OF the shot you are
using. Try a blind. Use a decoy
owl. You Will get few good shots;
then you will have TO move on. 1t
will be several days before YOU can
use that blind again to advantage
You can't fool a horSeflv; neither