BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 359 



A report to the effect that wihl geese are doing serious damage to 

 fields of 3'oung grain, similar to other reports reaching the bureau 

 periodically, came during the 3'ear froui eastern Maryland. Upon 

 investigation it proved baseless. The fact is that in most cases the 

 cropping of young grain by geese really improves the stand by 

 stimulating increased "stooling." Indeed, to secure this very effect, 

 farm practice in some regions includes regular grazing of young 

 grain by domestic stock. 



CROWS DESTROYING AI.MONDS IN WASHINGTON. 



In the Goodnoe Hills region along the Columbia River in Wash- 

 ington crows are unbelievably numerous and have become very de- 

 structive to melon, apricot, and almond crops. An investigation 

 made during the almond season showed that in two or three days the 

 crows would consume the crop of one orchard and then move on to 

 the next. Orchards were entirely stripped of nuts and the ground 

 beneath strewn with almond husks and shells. Control experiments 

 were at once begun and gratifying success Avas achieved. Poisoning 

 operations, in which green almonds were used for bait with strych- 

 nine as the poison, killed many of the crows and struck terror into 

 the flocks of these wary birds so that the}^ deserted the orchards. 

 Poisoning an orchard ever}' 10 days has been found to give it im- 

 munity from crow damage. 



INVASION OF THICK-BILLED PARROTS. 



The thick-billed parrot is a Mexican species which at irregular 

 intervals migrates from northern Mexico and appears in the United 

 States in the Chiricahua and other mountain ranges near the border. 

 It has been stated that last year these birds attacked feterita and 

 other grains growing in the arable land in these mountains, which in 

 recent years have been placed under cultivation. It was learned that 

 the parrots entered the Chiricahua Mountains in large flocks during 

 July, 1917, and remained in numbers until fall. On their arrival 

 they began to feed upon cones of the Chihuahua pine, and when 

 these were gone they turned their attention to acorns, of which there 

 was an abundant crop. Though they often came into trees bordering 

 clearings that contained cultivated fields or orchards, it was found 

 that they had not damaged crops in any Avay in spite of many reports 

 to the contrary. Nor did it appear that the pines or other trees on 

 seeds of which they fed were harmed. From tlic data gathered it 

 was established that at present the thick-billed parrot is to be con- 

 sidered a harmless species. 



RELATION OK POISONING CAMPAIGNS TO BIRDS. 



From time to time reports are received of numbers of birds being 

 Icilled 1)V poisoning ojieratious directed against other animals. Such 

 charges have been associated with the sj>rayiiig campaign for the con- 

 trol of the gypsy moth in New England, with laying poisoned mashes 

 for cutworms in various parts of tlie country, and with the poison- 

 ing oj)erations of the Biological Survey against noxious rodents and 



