Am. Crow SONG-BIRDS. 



with personal beauty and interesting habits ; birds who are 

 of benefit to general agriculture, but still make themselves 

 very unwelcome in the home woods or about the gardens 

 of the lovers of Song-birds. Of this class the Jay and the 

 Crow, fellow members of one famil}^, are conspicuous exam- 

 ples, the Crow of course lacking the attribute of beauty. 



It is interesting to be assured by Mr. Beal's report ^ that 

 " 19 per cent of the Blue Jay's food consists of harmful in- 

 sects . . . and that the habit of robbing the nests of other 

 birds is much less common than has been asserted." Never- 

 theless, that these birds raised sad havoc in my garden 

 while they lived in a neighbouring thicket, I know by sad 

 experience, and I personally prefer administering poisonous 

 beverages to the various insects that enjoy garden rambles, 

 than to be assisted in their destruction by this azure-plumed, 

 jeering bandit. 



Nor does the fact that Jays make devoted parents, ex- 

 cuse their audacity. The Kobber Barons were doubtless 

 liberal enough inside their own castles, where the tribute 

 from other homes gave the baby barons the wherewithal 

 to wax fat and ferocious. I speak from the view point of 

 the homekeeper and gardener whose first thought is for 

 the Thrush, the Eobin, the Catbird, and all other friendly 

 tenants of bush and hedge. 



Sub-family Corvine : Crows. 



American Crow: Co7*vus Americanus, 



Length : 18-20 inches. 



Male and Female : Glossy black, with a purplish tinge. Wings which 



appear saw-toothed when flying. Bill and feet black. Female 



a less brilliant black. 

 Song : A quavering " Kar-r-r-er-r ! " in spring. Call note, " Caw-w ! " 

 Season: Kesident. 



Breeds : All through North America. 

 Nest : Consisting of a platform of coarse sticks, upon which rests the 



nest proper, made of smaller twigs and deeply lined with cedar 



bark. Tall trees are chosen ; preferably evergreens. 



1 "Some Common Birds in their Relation to Agriculture," Washington, 

 1897. 



^ 178 



