3D6 Proceedings of Indiana Academy of Science. 
In the South there is an interesting superstition, especially among the 
negroes, who say that you never see any blue jays on Friday because they 
are all away carrying sticks to the devil! 
In Monroe County, the jays are common and begin to nest as early as the 
first of April. April 15, 1882, a set of three fresh eggs near Bloomington ; 
February 16, 1885, common. 
In Vigo County, also, they are a common bird. Their nests may be found 
in the hawthorns, locusts, and similar trees. 
117. CORVUS CORAX SINUATUS Wagler. RAVEN. (486) 
Formerly common, but now rare, if it has not entirely disappeared. In 
my boyhood days I have seen ravens in Carroll County. I am not sure 
I ever saw one in Monroe or Vigo County. 
118. CorvUS BRACHYRHYNCHOS BRACHYRHYNCHOS Brehm. crow. (488) 
A common and familiar permanent resident. In the winter the crows 
gather up in great numbers and have permanent roosting places. One of 
these rookeries was located near Ridge Farm on the west side of the 
Wabash River, a few miles north of Terre Haute. When visiting this 
region in February, 1889, I saw what I estimated at 2.000 crows flying 
to this rookery in the evening. During the day they scatter over the sur- 
rounding country. covering a radius of several miles, feeding in the fields 
and other open places, and return in the evening to the roosting place. The 
winter of 1884-5, in central Indiana, was one of unusual and continued 
cold and deep, drifted snows. The crows, however, like the poor, were 
ever with us and, seemingly, in unusually great numbers. At Camden they 
were noted flying east in the morning and west in the evening; rarely or 
never north or south. I did not succeed in locating their roosting place or 
places. They were usually more or less scattered in their flight, but often 
they flew in rather compact bodies of 10 to 50 birds. Sometimes, usually 
about 4 P. M., the flocks were much larger. On Mareh 4, 1885, Mr. Will 
Hough of Delphi, saw what he estimated at 400 to 500 flying west over 
South Delphi. They flew in a pretty compact body. The evening was very 
cold, the temperature being 12 to 15 below zero. Two evenings later (March 
6), at 4 o'clock, I saw about 60 in one flock flying west near Delphi. 
The Crow nests early in the spring. Full sets of eggs taken near Bloom- 
ington, March 20, and near Burlington, April 16. 
Crows have a bad reputation, doubtless far worse than they deserve. 
They are charged with pulling up newly planted corn which they probably 
do to some extent: also with destroying the eggs of various species of wild 
birds, and domestic fowls, which also is doubtless true. I, myself, have 
often seen crows visit a strawstack in which several hens had their nests, 
search for eggs and, when found, impale the egg on their bill and fly away 
to some distant tree or other safe place where the egg would be devoured. 
A nest with three fresh eggs near Burlington, April 16, 1883; another nest 
with four fresh eggs found in an apple tree near Burlington, April 28, 1919, 
by my young grandnephew. Donovan Beck. 
A nest with two addled eggs and one large young near Bloomington, 
April 29, 1882. Common January 12, 1883. 
