33 



After the young birds leave the nest they move about with their parents and 

 feed on the most varied diet. They will make a raid on the fruit grower, and 

 demolish his cherries or raspberries if the idea strikes them, or they will prowl 

 along the lake shore and enjoy themselves for a few days on fish fare, after which 

 they will visit a pasture field and clear out all the wire worms, grubs and mice 

 they may find there: in fact, very few things come amiss to them, as they roam 

 about the country, until the cold nights warn them to get together in some place 

 where they can get at least a bare suibsistence to carry them over the winter. 



As I have said before, Crows have increased too fast of late years, and we 

 have now too many of them in the country; their numbers can easily be reduced 

 if a little attention he paid to the matter in the spring. Just at nesting time they 

 are less shy and wary than at any other season, and can be approached in the trees 

 within shooting distance. If one of each pair were shot off their numbers would 

 soon be reduced to such an extent that the damage they could do would not be 

 noticeable. These birds are so well able to take care of themselves that even more 

 stringent measures might be adopted against them without any danger of exter- 

 mination, their natural enemies being very few, and those of that class against 

 which man has carried on a most successful war. Of these the Great Horned Owl 

 was t|ie most noteworthy, but the Great Horned Owl will kill the poultry of a 

 farmer who allows his fowls to roost out on winter nights, and so the Owl must 

 go and the Crow has one enemy the less. 



CROWS. 

 Description. 

 EAVEN. 



Entire plumage black, with glossy steel hlue reflections; feathers on the 

 throat narrow, long and pointed. 



L., 22.00; W., 17.00; T., 10. 



]Srest, on high trees or cliffs. Eggs, four to six, pale bluish or olive green, 

 Slotted, blotched, or washed with purple or gi'eenish brown ; very variable. 



AMERICAN CROW. 



Entire plumage black, with blue, green and purplish reflections; the under 

 parts duller; feathers on the neck s-hort and rounded. ISTasal bristles about half 

 as long as bill. 



L., 19.30; W., 12.20; T., 7.70. 



Nest, in trees. Eggs, four or five, generally bluish green thickly marked witli 

 shades of brown, but very variable. 



BLUE JAY. 



Blue Jay. It is a pity that so beautiful and interesting a bird as this should 

 be possessed of such mischievous propensities as it has, but I am afraid that neither 

 its good looks nor its good acts can be said to balance its evil deeds. This bird, 

 like the common Crow, seems to forget its usual shyness when spring arrives, and 

 will leave its wooded haunts and build its nest in gardens, orchards and shrubberies, 

 close to houses, and quite within reach of every person passing, nor does it affect 

 any sort of concealment as a rule. T have seen many nests so placed that they 

 were visible from pul)lic roads where people and vehicles Avere continually passing. 



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