314 



THE MUSEUM. 



cotton strings around and across the 

 field about six feet above the ground. 

 The Crow proverbially is a cunning 

 bird, and when he sees the strings, he 

 expects a trap and seldom gots into 

 the fields. This way has been largely 

 given up on account of its inconven- 

 ience and cost. The way now follow- 

 ed is that of coating the corn with tar. 

 This gives a bitter taste to the kernel, 

 so the Crows let it alone after pulling 

 up one or two spears. The usual way 

 of preparing the corn is to pour hot 

 water over it and let it soak awhile; 

 then for every bushel of corn, put in 

 perhaps a half pint of 'North Carolina 

 tar,' as it is labeled. This is better 

 than the coal tar because it does not 

 have to be melted. The water is then 

 poured off and plaster, ashes, or sand 

 is mixed to keep the kernels from 

 sticking together. This hinders the 

 growth probably a day or two, but it 

 is a perfect protection from the Crows. 

 Last Spring our tarred corn gave out 

 and we finished the last rows of one 

 piece with clean corn. After it had 

 come up, we found that the Crows had 

 pulled every spear of this corn, while 

 the tarred corn at its side was hardly 

 touched. The damage done to corn 

 is not confined to the first few days. 

 When it is in the milky state, they 

 tear the husks and eat off the kernels 

 at the tips of the ears. The harm 

 done in this way is not great; the Pur- 

 ple Crackles, Red-winged Blackbirds 

 and English Sparrows doing vastly 

 more damage than the Crows. On 

 the other hand, the Crows undoubted- 

 ly eat injurious insects, mice, moles, 

 snakes, etc. April 15, 1893, I saw a 

 Crow kill a grass-snake. It would 

 have eaten the snake had not some 

 boys frightened it away. During 



Spring-plowing the Crows follow in 

 the furrow to get the grubs that are 

 turned up. Crows are much less 

 abundant here today than ten years 

 ago, and. I am told that thirty years 

 ago there were twenty where now 

 there is one." 



NIDIFICATION. 



Situation. — The Crow usually 

 chooses a tree situated as deep in the 

 woods as possible, or in some quiet 

 little grove of tall trees, where it can 

 nest free from molestation and yet be 

 near to its chosen feeding ground. The 

 number and variety of eligible situ- 

 ations, the individuality of the bird, 

 the degree of hostility prevailing in its 

 neighborhood and the consequent 

 measure of activity displayed by its 

 enemies, having a' large share in in- 

 fluencing the selection of a nesting site. 

 Now and then a pair bubbling over 

 with boldness or over confidence in 

 man, will build in an isolated tree, 

 usually but not invariably an ever- 

 green, in the middle of a field or in 

 an apple orchard. Mr. Frederick M. 

 Dille collected a set of eggs from a tall 

 Cottonwood, in the midst of a dense 

 grove, on Clear creek, directly on the 

 outskirts of the city of Denver. He 

 says: "I was greatly surprised at find- 

 ing a pair of .Crows breeding in such 

 close provimity to a large city; but the 

 birds were very quiet and retiring, as 

 if they realized the delicacy of their 

 situation." Mr. W. N. Clute, Bing- 

 hamton, N. Y. , cites two instances of 

 this species nesting within the city 

 limits. Dr. William Bringhurst, Phil- 

 adelphia, Pa., takes note of a pair 

 building in Logan Square, on one side 

 of which stands the Academy of Nat- 

 ural Science, on another a grand Ca- 



