owder and the south side of a hemlock-tree, and begin to plume
themselves upon being crows of the world. They always fold their wings
three times after alighting, to be sure that it is neatly done. They
know how to worry a fox into giving up half his dinner, and also that
when the kingbird or the purple martin assails them they must dash into
a bush, for it is as impossible to fight the little pests as it is for
the fat apple-woman to catch the small boys who have raided her basket.
All these things do the young crows know; but they have taken no lessons
in egg-hunting yet, for it is not the season. They are unacquainted with
clams, and have never tasted horses' eyes, or seen sprouted corn, and
they don't know a thing about travel, the greatest educator of all. They
did not think of that two months ago, and since then they have thought
of it, but have learned to wait till their betters are ready.

September sees a great change in the old crows, too, Their moulting is
over. They are now in full feather again and proud of their handsome
coats. Their health is again good, and with it their tempers are
improved. Even old Silverspot, the strict teacher, becomes quite jolly,
and the youngsters, who have long ago learned to respect him, begin
really to love him.

He has hammered away at drill, teaching them all the signals and words
of command in use, and now it is a pleasure to see them in the early
morning.

'Company I!' the old chieftain would cry in crow, and Company I would
answer with a great clamor.

'Fly!' and himself leading them, they would all fly straight forward.

'Mount!' and straight upward they turned in a moment.

'Bunch!' and they all massed into a dense black flock.

'Scatter!' and they spread out like leaves before the wind.

'Form line!' and they strung out into the long line of ordinary flight.

'Descend!' and they all dropped nearly to the ground.

'Forage!' and they alighted and scattered about to feed, while two of
the permanent sentries mounted duty--one on a tree to the right, the
other on a mound to the far left. A minute or two later Silverspot
would cry out, 'A man with a gun!' The sentries repeated the cry and
the company flew at once in open order as quickly as possible toward the
trees. Once behind these, they formed line again in safety and returned
to the home pines.

Sentry duty is not taken in turn by all the crows, but a certain number
whose watchfulness has been often proved a