54 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXVI, 1919 



There was a great deal of complaint against the crow but few 

 evidences of serious depredations came to my notice in this region. 

 Corn fields or vegetable gardens lying along the timber are more or 

 less subject to attack and two cases where serious loss was oc- 

 casioned were investigated. Both were near the woodland along 

 Iowa river. On August 5, 1914, they were found to be pecking open 

 watermelons as fast as they ripened. There were certainly several 

 hundred melons damaged, in this field. Scarecrows had no eflfect in 

 preventing their visits. 



On August 10, 1914, and on several subsequent dates the writer 

 found a flock of several hundred crows frequenting a corn field of 

 thirty acres. A careful count of the ears showed that about forty- 

 five per cent of the ears had been more or less damaged. 



An interesting performance by a flock of crows was witnessed on 

 December 1, 1913. I was standing in a dense clump of willows 

 when my attention was drawn to a huge flock of crows some 

 distance away and high in the air. Instead of flying in straggling 

 crow fashion they were in a compact and orderly group and while 

 I was watching they went through curious evolutions cawing noisily 

 all the time. These evolutions were unlike any I had ever seen in 

 gathering at a roost or on any other occasion. The flock wheeled, 

 split and circled in opposite directions and then united again. This 

 maneuver was repeated several times intermingled with others. 

 The entire performance lasted from five to ten minutes after which 

 the flock broke up and the birds flew oft" in various directions. 



101. Dolichonyx orysivoriis. Bobolink. During 1913 and 1914 

 the bobolink appeared only as a rare migrant being noted only on 

 May 17 and 24 in 1913 and May 10 and September 7 in 1914. In 

 1915 the species appeared in some numbers and bred in the fields 

 from which they had been absent the two previous years. In 1915 

 they were first seen on ]\Iay 22 and the last date was September 5. 

 Singing males were noted frequently, but only one nest was actually 

 found. This was discovered on June 9, 1915, and contained five 

 eggs. 



102. Molothrus atcr atcr. Cowbird. The cowbird is an abun- 

 dant summer resident from March 31 to November 4 except in 

 the month of September for which month I have no records. A 



