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Wilson, Alexander, 1766-1813. / American ornithology; or The natural history of the birds of the United States
(1828)

Species 4. Corvus ossifragus. Fish-crow,   pp. [182]-184


Page [182]


SPECILES 4  C(O1? VUS OSSIFR.4 US.
                       FISH-CROW.
                 [Plate XXXVII. -Fig. 2.]
                 PEALE'S Jliuseuin, N'o. 1369.
  THis is another roving inhabitant of our coasts, ponds, and
river shores; though a much less distinguished one than the pre-
ceding," this being the first time, as far as I can learn, that he
has ever been introduced to the notice of the world.
  I first met with this species on the coast of Georgia, and ob-
served that they regularly retired to the interior as evening ap-
proached, and came down to the shores of the river Savannah,
by the first appearance of day. Their voice first attracted my
notice, being very different from that of the common Crow,
more hoarse and guttural, uttered as if something stuck in their
throat, and varied into several modulations as they flew along.
Their manner of flying was also unlike the others, as they fre-
quently sailed about, without flapping the wings, something in
the manner of the Raven; and I soon perceived that their food,
and their mode of procuring it, were also both different; their
favourite haunts being about the banks of the river, along which
they usually sailed, dexterously snatching up, with their claws,
dead fish, or other garbage, that floated on the surface. At the
country seat of Stephen Elliot, Esq. near the Ogechee river, I
.took notice of these Crows frequently perching on the backs of
the cattle, like the Magpie and Jackdaw of Britain; but never
mingling with the common Crows; and differing from them in
this particular, that the latter generally retire to the shore, the
  * The Fish-Iawk, lig'ured in the same plate, and which immediately pre-
cedes the Fish-Croxwv in the text of the osi.iiiwa ehtvfn.


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