File:Wild animals I have known - and 200 drawings (1898) (14752971152).jpg

Identifier: wildanimalsihave00seto (find matches)
Title: Wild animals I have known : and 200 drawings
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
Subjects: Animals Animals
Publisher: New York : Scribner
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ff in triumph. Silverspot was a crow of the world. Hewas truly a successful crow. He lived in aregion that, though full of dangers, aboundedwith food. In the old, unrepaired nest heraised a brood each year with his wife, whom,by the way, I never could distinguish, andwhen the crows again gathered together he wastheir acknowledged chief. The reassembling takes place about the endof June—the young crows with their bob-tails,soft wings, and falsetto voices are brought bytheir parents, whom they nearly equal in size,and introduced to society at the old pine woods,a woods that is at once their fortress and col-lege. Here they find security in numbers andin lofty yet sheltered perches, and here theybegin their schooling and are taught all thesecrets of success in crow life, and in crow lifethe least failure does not simply mean beginagain. It means death. The first week or two after their arrival isspent by the young ones in getting acquainted,for each crow must know personally all the 76
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Silverspot others in the band. Their parents meanwhilehave time to rest a little after the work of rais-ing them, for now the youngsters are able tofeed themselves and roost on a branch in a row,just like big folks. In a week or two the moulting season comes.At this time the old crows are usually irritableand nervous, but it does not stop them from be-ginning to drill the youngsters, who, of course,do not much enjoy the punishment and naggingthey get so soon after they have been mammasown darlings. But it is all for their good, asthe old lady said when she skinned the eels, andold Silverspot is an excellent teacher. Some-times he seems to make a speech to them.What he says I cannot guess, but, judging bythe way they receive it, it must be extremelywitty. Each morning there is a companydrill, for the young ones naturally drop intotwo or three squads according to their age andstrength. The rest of the day they forage withtheir parents. When at length September comes we find agreat chang

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