[Magdalen] News from Lake Woboston

[Ginga Wilder]

Oh, Gawd!
Ginga

On Sat, Jan 24, 2015 at 9:46 AM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com> wrote:

> Researchers for the  Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead
> crows near greater Boston  recently, and there was concern that they may
> have died from Avian  Flu.
>
>
> A Bird  Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to
> everyone's relief,  confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu.
> The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.
>
> However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colors of
> paints appeared  on the bird's beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint
> residues it was  determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact
> with trucks, while  only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.
>
> MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a
> cause for  the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car
> kills. He very quickly concluded the cause:
>
> When crows eat road kill, they always have a  look-out crow in a nearby
> tree to warn of impending danger. They discovered that while all the
> lookout crows could shout "Cah", not a single one  could shout "Truck."
>
>
>
>
> Cheers,
> Jim
>
> "The enemy isn’t liberalism;
> the enemy isn’t conservatism.
> The enemy, is baloney." - Lars Erik Nelson
>