250 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



times exhibit a daring inclination to tackle a crow. White (1893) 

 relates an experience in which the small sharp-shinned hawk was seen to 

 attack successfully a crow on Mackinac Island, Mich. Sutton (1929) 

 found the crop of a Cooper's hawk, killed near Shippensburg, Pa., 

 packed with feathers and flesh of a crow. According to the observer a 

 second Cooper's hawk was seen to fly up from the spot where the first 

 was killed, and nearby among the weeds was a partly eaten and fairly 

 well plucked crow, the flesh of which was still warm. Dr. Sutton, 

 although admitting he is unable to prove the case, believes that one or 

 both of the hawks killed the crow. 



It is well known that even smaller birds, notably the kingbird, may 

 harass a crow and make its existence very uncomfortable. Currier 

 (1904) in an account of crows observed at Leech Lake, Minn., writes: 

 "One pair in particular had our sympathy. They had a nest full of 

 young in a scrub oak standing alone out on the marsh, where several 

 pairs of Kingbirds, and thousands of Redwings were breeding. Every 

 time a Crow made a move it was pounced upon by from two to a dozen 

 of the smaller birds and forced to light for a time. The Yellow-heads 

 would also join in at times, but they were not so persistent. The Red- 

 wings seemed to be the worst." 



I have seen crows that have chanced to enter sea-bird colonies vi- 

 ciously and violently attacked by terns. 



That crows are never on good terms with predaceous birds, especially 

 owls, is evidenced by the great commotion aroused among the crows 

 whenever an owl is discovered. Fortified by numbers, they exhibit great 

 audacity and may harass an owl for hours at a time. In fact, the 

 presence of an owl may frequently be revealed by the cawing and be- 

 havior of the crows at such times. Their antipathy for owls is so great 

 that they may be lured by a stuffed owl placed by a gunner who wishes 

 to destroy them. For the past 15 years I have had several live horned 

 owls in a large flight cage in the backyard of my home in Brunswick, 

 Maine. Almost every morning during the spring migration, flocks of 

 crows ranging from a dozen to 25 or 30 alight in the surrounding trees 

 and awaken the entire neighborhood by their haranguing calls. The 

 crows alight on top of the cage but the least movement on the part of 

 the owls sends them scampering to the tree tops under loud protests. 

 Seeking renewed courage the crows descend again and again to repeat 

 the performance. This goes on in spite of the fact that it is in the midst 

 of a thickly settled portion of the town. 



Crows, as well as other birds, fall as victims of flesh-eating mammals. 

 Errington (1935) in his study of the food of midwest foxes, reports 

 that crows are eaten by them. 



