JPor ^oung d^b^erter^ 



THE PRIZE ESSAY CONTESTS 



The prize offered for the best account of the habits of the Crow lias been awarded 

 to Master Fred T. Morison, of Montclair, New Jersey, whose article appears below. 

 Among: other articles on this subject sent in competition, those by the following are 

 deserving of especial mention: Maurice J. Clausen, Toronto, Ont. ; Stewart Mackie 

 Emery, Morristown, N. J.; Edmund W. Sinnott, Bridgewater, Mass., and Abe Tout, 

 York, Nebraska. 



The editor's object in offering prizes is to encourage original observation, and, as in 

 writing a general account of the habits of a given species one is apt to draw more or 

 less unconsciously on what has previously been written, it is proposed, in the future, to 

 make the essays more original by having them based wholly on personal observation. 

 The next subject, therefore, will be ' Notes on the Birds of February and March.' The 

 article should be a summary, between 700 and 800 words long, of one's observations 

 during these months, and should be sent to the editor in April. The prize offered for the 

 article displaying the best powers of observation and description is any bird-book or 

 books to the value of two dollars. 



The Prize Crow^ Essay 



« 



BY FRED T. MORISON (aged 11). 



ONE year ago last February I. was suddenly taken very sick, obliging 

 me to leave school and spend many months in the country. The 

 time was spent with relatives in northwestern Pennsylvania, but a 

 short distance from Lake Chautauqua, N. Y. I there found an e.xcellent 

 chance to study birds, which I did, when able, until my vacation was over. 

 I saw birds of many kinds, but once having had a tame Crow I took 

 great interest in the wild Crows, and now try to tell you about ihem. 

 It did not take me long to find out that the Crows were wiser than the 

 little boy who was studying them. 



The Crow when full grown is from 1 7 to 18 inches long by 37 to 38 

 inches in extent. His plumage is a glossy black, with violet reflections. 

 On one occasion I saw a Crow with some white on it in a flock. The 

 Crow belongs to the 'Guild of Ciround Gleaners,' a walker, three toes 

 in front, one behind. His bill of fare is quite varied, consisting of 

 snakes, frogs, insects and their larva% fruit, grains, and, if very hungry, 

 carrion. In the spring he seems fonil of following the plow to get cut- 

 worms and other grubs, and later of pulling corn, and still later, some- 

 times flocks of thousands will swoop down on grain -fields, when wheat 

 and ('(ini arc in the shock, place one of tiieir number on guani to warn 

 them in case of danger, and, unless driven away, leave but little thresh- 

 ing necessary. Hut if the sentinel sees a sign of danger it gives one 



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