ih THE AMERICAN CROW. 
are the busybodies of early springtime. Once arrived in their familiar haunts, 
they peer into last year’s birds’ nests, inspect fence-rows, discuss the changes 
wrought by the wood chopper, hold noisy caucuses in the beech woods, or 
gather fagots for the early nesting, and their clamor becomes an integral part 
of the season’s impress. 
The dusky bird is a notorious mischief-maker, but he is not quite so 
black as he has been painted. More than any other bird he has successfully 
matched his wits against those of man, and his frequent easy victories and 
consequent boastings are responsible in large measure for the unsavory repu- 
tation in which he is held. It is a familiar adage in ebony circles that the 
proper study of Crow-kind is man, and so well has he pursued this study that 
he may fairly be said to hold his own in spite of fierce and ingenious persecu- 
tion. He rejoices in the name of outlaw, and ages of ill treatment have only 
served to sharpen his wits and intensify his cunning. 
That the warfare waged against him is largely unnecessary and partly 
unjust has been pretty clearly proven of late by the scientists who have investi- 
gated the Crow’s food habits. It is true that he destroys large numbers of 
eges and nestlings, and that, if allowed to, he will occasionally invade the 
poultry yard,—and for such conduct there can be no apology. It is true also 
that some damage is inflicted upon corn in the roasting-ear stage, and that 
corn left out through the winter constitutes a staple article of Crow diet. But 
it must be remembered that birds and eggs form only about one-half of one 
per cent of their fare through the vear, and that in the case of corn, they per- 
form conspicuous services in raising the crop. Professor A. W. Butler, of 
Indiana, who has given the matter special attention, says: ‘‘Most persons 
are disposed to note losses oftener and remember them longer than benefits. 
It (the Crow) is found to eat many insects. May beetles, June bugs, and 
noxious beetles, and quantities of them, are fed to their young. Grasshoppers 
are eaten all summer, but form the bulk of their food in August. Besides 
these, many bugs, caterpillars, cut-worms, spiders, etc., are eaten. 
It is thought in the more thickly settled portions of the country that the con 
does more good than harm, and if precautions are taken to protect the nests 
and young poultry and corn, its damage would not be of any considerable 
consequence.” 
There is no reasonable question that the Crow is the smartest bird within 
our borders. He is such a delightful rascal that he makes an interesting pet, 
as every wide-awake farmer’s boy can testify. If taken from the nest and 
well treated, a young Crow can be given such a large measure of freedom as 
to fully justify the experiment from a humanitarian standpoint. Altho scat- 
tered anecdotes of Crow ways fill the pages of popular literature, it is matter 
of regret that a complete treatise on the psychology of the Crow has never 
been produced. Such a work would not only afford entertaining reading, but 
