454 COMMON enow. 



(lUSKltVATloNS. 



Tliore is little or no viu-i:ilion in liinW of tlio sniiiong<- fVoiii the snnie looiility, Imt Floriilii speriiiipns arc smaller with 

 lar^o liills and feet. Readily (tistiiigiiisluHl froiri the elosely allied osw/raj)/.'! liy the large size of the feet and the shorter 

 middle tiic. Distributed in suimner tlirou^hout North Ameriea, retreating into the United States in winter. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average moasuvemcnts of ten specimens from Njw England. Length, 10-50; stretch, 27'50; wing, 13'30; tail, C'92; 

 hill, 3-2.'); tarsus, 2-30. Longest specimen, 2r00; greatest extent (if wing, 38-00; longest w'ing, 19-fiO; tail, 7-50; bill, 9-50; 

 tarsus, 2-2;). S'lortost spociaian, IS-O:); saialbst extent of wing, 35-00; shortest wing, 12-00; tail, G-25; hill, 2-00; tar 

 ;us, 2-00. 



Avcr.age mea.sure;nents of six sp-eim.>ns from Fl a-i.la. Length, 18-20; stretch, 35-10; wing, 21-65; tail, 7-25; bill 

 2-30, tai-sus, 2-29. Longest specimen, 19-15; greatest extent of wing, .37-90; longest wing, 12-50; tail, 8-00; bill, 2-(50; 

 tar'jus, 2-58. S'lortest spex-.ijrien, 17-00; smallest extent of wing, 33-00; shortest wing, 10-80; tail, 6-50; bill, 2-00; tarsus, 

 200. 



DESCRIPTION OP NESTS AND EGGS. 



Ni'Stx, ]ilaecd in trees. They are large structures composed of sti<-l:s, lined witli grass, weeds, Iiair, etc. Dimensions: 

 c.xtei-nal diameter, iS-OO, internal, lO'OO. Extern-al depth. 10-00, intia-ual, 1-0.1. 



/>///«, from three ti} live in nuuibor, oval in fa-m, varying from |>ale to dark-gn>en in color, spotted and blotched with 

 yellowish and grayish-brown. Diiaensi,.n-i from l-55x MO to 200x I'MO. 



iiAinrs. 



Among the first Idrds (hiit I rcinciubrr noticing were the Crows. I must littve been 

 very young, yet the earliest impression tliat I received regarding them was their extreme 

 shyness, and the member.? of this species which I have met in the North have ever taken 

 the greatest pains to confirm this idea. Sagacity is certainly one of the prime character- 

 istics of the Crow and sagiiciousnoss has taught them that all members of the humtm family, 

 of whatever age, sex, or color, iirc their mortal enemies. Any one in our section who litis 

 endeavored to slioot them will Ijcar testimony to this and, furthermore, many affirm that 

 the l)irds are accurate mathematicians. Vicing enal)led to calcuhite to an inch the dista-nce 

 a gun vf'iW send shot, and tlius tantali/ingly keep just out of raiige. Although I cannot 

 exactly confirm this statement, I do know that the birds very quickly learn where they 

 :tre safe and where they nuist bo cautiims. For example, there is an estate not far irom 

 mr place where no one e\<'r shoots, as the owner has banished all guns from his land. 

 Birds of many species build Ihere and .-imong them are two or three pairs of Crows. These 

 \v;iry l)irds are as unsuspicious as Roliius when at home iind I have frequently walked 

 within twenty y;trds of them, but they tire as shy as any (jf their comrades whenever 

 they visit neighboriitg firms. 



I found them very tame in Florida, where they are always idjundant, excepting in 

 the immediate A'iidnity of settlements, and at first it appeared quite odd to see Crows 

 alight within a do;:en yards of mc without the slightest indictition of fetir. These birds in 

 Massachusetts have a peculiar way of jetting the tiiil and of keeping the head erect as if 

 consttmtly on the lookout for danger, Imt the southern rtice is much more indolent, for I 

 never remember observing this habit. They simply gazed ;it me quietly and then, if I ap- 

 proached too near, would give a caw or two :uid fly to the next tree. They are mainly 

 fiund in the piney woods, seldom visiting the prairies or hummocks, tuid they are also nire 

 ■>u the phintations where I never knew of their being in the least troublesome 



