Year: 1876




from Appleton's Journal


A contemporary, in O communication
on the "Mathematical Faculty oil
Crows" presents the results OF certain
observations on this subject, which are
Of interest within themselves. and also
on account Of the suggestions they en-
body. 1t appears that d farmer Of
Maine was accustomed to hide himself
in a rude shanty erected in the centre
OF his corn field, and thus concealed
would guard the surrounding domain
by shooting any Of these birds that at
tempted to steal his newly-sprouting
crop. A few days experience, however,
was enough for the wary robbers, VINO
soun learned to leave the field as sOon
as the farmer entered his fort, and not
to return until he had taken his depar-
ture. During the interval OF his pres
ence, however, they would remain
perched on the fences or neighborihg
trees. Having observed that the birds
were on the alert. and invaded the field
the moment he was well out OF sight,
II occurred to the farmer that the crows
could .scount one" This induced him
to enter the field as an observer, and to
test, IL possible, their further skill In
mathematics SO on the foilowlbg
day, as the story runs, he took his sob
to the shanty, and after @ time sent
him home, thinking that, after the
crows had seen one person leave the
field, they would suppose the danger
past, and come down. But they wisely
kept aloof. and not until after he him
self had started for home did they ven
ture to alight in the corn.


The next day he took two persons with
him, with the same result: first one per
son left the field, then another, the
crows cawing their approval, but re
manning i'm their safe position, and not
until the third person had been seen TO
depart from the field, would the cunning
creatures trust themselves within gum
shot of the little building. The next
day half dozen persons entered 1T.
Presently one OF them went back across
the field The crows mentioned the
fact among themselves, but kept their
distance among the trees. Another per-
son went away with the same result.
Directly a third emerged from the build
ing and disappeared. The unhappy
crows. having reached the end OF their
mathematical rope. came down In plt-
toons to their deferred breakfast, un-
aware Of the three armed enemies still
remaining in the building, who at once
opened fire upon the poor birds, whose
great misfortune was that they were un-
able to count more than three.


In order to thoroughly test this fact,
and establish the mathematical limit oi
the crows mind, this experiment, with
six, seven or eight persons was repeated
on successive days. In each instance
the birds made their descent after the
departure Of the third man from the
shanty. The conclusion appears Just
one, and II 1t be suggested that the
crow q sense or smell was SO acute as tc
detect the presence Of the farmer alone
why did it not serve a like purpose wher
three or more remaining observers were
present in the shed Though the &C
count above given makes no mention o.
the fact, yet 1t Is established that there
are certain OF the wild tribes OF men
the individuals OF which are alike linn
tied In their mathematical capacity
and to whom this same magic number
three marks the limit OF their arithme
tical attRinments.


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The Brownsville (Tenn.) Democra