266 



THEY EAT GRUBS AND "BUGS." 



Reader, if you doubt this statement talie the 

 t rouble, sometime in the Spring, when you see Crows 

 and Blackbirds in a cornfield when the corn is an 

 inch or two above the ground, to shoot some of the 

 birds, open their stomachs, and the chances are ten 

 to one you will discover that these "corn-pulling" 

 birds have nothing but "cutworms," other larvae, and 

 beetles in their food receptacles. 



.■^ >mi:ti.mks steal the corn. 

 The Crow, undoubtedly, at times, particularly in the 

 fall when the farmer is slow about taking com in 

 from a 'field, sometimes does considerable damage. 

 Tn the Spring this bird also occasionally does a good 

 deal of mischief in cornfields. This same statement 

 may likewise be made concerning the Blackbird. 

 However, notwithstanding the fact that both species 

 of birds just mentioned destroy more or less corn, the 

 great amount of good they do by destroying innum- 

 erable insect foes which prey constantly, during the 

 summer season, on grain, fruit and garden crops, is. 

 according to my judgment, considerably in excess of 

 losses incurred from casual predatory visits which 

 these omnivorous birds make to the growing or 

 ripened corn. 



THEY DEVOUR EGGS AND NESTLINGS. 



If it was not for the bad habit which the Crow has 

 of destroying eggs and young of both poultry and 

 wild birds, and the same is true of the Crow Black- 

 bird which has acquired quite an appetite for eggs 

 and nestlings of difi"erent species of small wild birds. 



