278 CITIZEN BIRD 



" Of course we must remember that for many months 

 of the year the Crow eats grasshoppers, grubs, and even 

 mice ; but it is easy to forget this when one discovers 

 that half a dozen Crows have eaten all the young 

 Robins in the orchard, in a single morning." 



" Did they ever do that in our Orcliard ? " asked Dodo. 



" Yes — not once, but many times ; and that is the 

 reason why I do not allow Crows to nest anywhere on 

 the Farm. In great open farming districts, where other 

 birds are few, they may do much more good than evil ; 

 but not in well-settled places or about gardens and 

 pleasure grounds." 



The American Crow 



Length from eighteen to twenty inches. 



Glossy black from the tip of its beak to the end of its toes. 



A Citizen of North America from the Fur Countries to Mexico. 



A dismal and noisy neighbor for three months in the year, 

 making itself hateful by destroying grain, and the eggs and young 

 of song birds ; but for the other nine a good citizen, working in 

 the guilds of Ground Gleaners and Wise Watchers. 



THE BLUE JAY 



" This Jay is accused of tlie same bad tricks as the 

 Crow — pulling up sprouting corn, eating ripe corn, 

 and going birds'-nesting, to suck the eggs and eat the 

 helpless young. But we must not judge the whole 

 tribe by what we have seen a pair or two do in the 

 Orchard or home woods in the mating season. 



'' The ]>lue Jay is the third of our really familiar 

 blue birds and is certainly very liaiidsome. Do you 

 remember who the other two are?" 



" The Bluebird ! " said Dodo quickly. 



