THE COMMON CROW. 359 
captivity ; and have, by actual observation, proved that at 
least eight ounces of such food as frogs, fish, &c., are eaten 
daily by our Common Crow. Of course, like other birds, it 
can live on a very limited allowance; but I think that the 
above is a reasonable amount: however, to be absolutely 
within bounds, we will fix the food of the Crow to be equal 
to five ounces of animal matter per diem. Beginning, then, 
with the new year, we will follow the life of this bird through 
all the seasons, and then compare the results arrived at 
together, good and bad. 
During the months of January, February, and March, 
when the face of the country is covered with snow, the 
insects being dormant, and the small birds away to more 
southern districts, most of the Crows migrate from New 
England: and the few that remain depend upon a scanty 
subsistence of seeds of wild plants and weeds, acorns, apples 
that have been left on the trees in the orchard, and frozen ; 
and they occasionally capture a field-mouse that strays from 
its nest in the stubble-field or swamp. The life of the Crow 
during these months is one continued starvation; and the 
expression, “* poor as a crow,” may be applied to it, as well 
describing its condition. It succeeds in finding a few 
cocoons of Lepidopterous insects ; meets occasionally with a 
caterpillar or beetle; and, on the whole, its labors during 
these months may be called beneficial; although the good 
resulting from them is of so little amount that we might 
safely regard them as neutral. But, to be beyond the chance 
of doing it an injustice, we will assume, that, during the 
three months above mentioned, the Crow does as much good 
as during the whole month of April. 
Let us adopt, in this discussion, a system of numerals to 
signify the relative values of this bird through the year; 
taking the unit one to represent the labors of each day. The 
Crow is therefore valuable, during January, February, and 
March, thirty units, and in April is unquestionably thirty 
units more; for its food then consists almost entirely of 
