THE NORTHWEST CROW, 



behind lier as fast as she shooed tliem away in front — came within two or 

 three feet of her, too. and made playful dashes at her chubby legs. But 

 might I be permitted to photograph the scene at, say, fifty yards? Mit 

 nichtcn! Arragh ! To }our tents, O Israel! 



In so far as this Crow consents to^ perform the office of scavenger, he 

 is a useful member of society. Nor is his consumption of shell-fish a serious 

 matter. But when we come tO' consider the quality and extent of his 

 depredations upon colonies of nesting sea-birds, we find that he merits 

 unqualified condemnation. For instance, twO' of us bird-men once visited 

 the west nesting o-f Baird Cormorants on Flattop, to obtain photographs. 

 As we retired down the clifi^, I picked up a broken shell of a Cormorant's 

 tgg, from which the white, or plasma, was still dripping. As we pulled 

 away from the foot of the cliff a Crow flashed into view, lighted on the 

 edge of a Shag's nest, seized an egg, and bore it off rapidly into the woods 

 above, where the clamor of expectant young soon told of the disposition 

 that was being made of it. Immediately the marauder was back again, 

 seized the other tgg, and was off as before. All this, mind you, in a trice, 

 before we were sufficiently out of range for the Cormorants to- reacli tlieir 

 nests again, altho they were hastening toward them. Back came the C-w^\^,' 

 but the first nest was exhausted ; the second had nothing in it ; the Shags 

 were on the remainder ; moments were precious — he made a dive at a 

 Gull's nest, but the Gulls made a dive at him: and they too hastened to 

 their eggs. 



Subsequent investigation discovered rifled egg-shells all over the island, 

 and it was an easy matter to pick up a hatful for evidence. As he is at Flattop, 

 so he is evervwhere. an indefatigable robber of birds' nests, a sneaking, 

 thieving, hated, black marauder. It is my deliberate conviction that the 

 successful rearing of a nestful of young Crows costs the lives of a hundred 

 sea-birds. The Baird Cormorant is, doubtless, the heaviest loser; and she 

 appears to have no means of redress after the mischief is done, save to lay 

 n^ore eggs, — more eggs to feed more Crows, to steal more eggs, etc. 



