252 Crows 
familiar was located in Marble’s Woods in the town 
of Columbus, New York State. It was but a short 
distance from my early home, and many times I have 
visited it. The woods proper consisted of from twelve 
to fifteen acres, somewhat less than half of which were 
hemlocks. In these hemlocks the crows had their 
roost, a small one, to be sure, but one which was in 
every way characteristic. One band had a decided 
leader whom I came to know very well. He was 
easily distinguished from other crows because he had 
white feathers in both wings. “Old White Wing,” 
as he was known, came the nearest to being one of 
Dr. Godman’s bad crows that I have ever known. 
About November first the crows began to congre- 
gate in the roost, and by December it had reached 
its normal size. In March the crows began to 
leave the roost, and by the first week in April they 
had all departed, except those intending to nest there. 
Their arrival and departure varied considerably with 
the season, and a mild winter had its influence upon 
the regular attendance. 
During very severe winters the crows had little to 
feed upon and the death rate at the roost was corre- 
spondingly large. The foxes, hawks, and owls came 
in for their share of crows, as these animals were all 
very plentiful about the roost. The great horned 
