Tol. Xin r> f T •, , O 



Recent J^jteratiirc. "^Ol 



1895 



bark of trees. Tabulated statements are given of the percentages of 

 different kinds of food found in the stomachs of the species examined, 

 and excellent uncolored illustrations are given of five of the seven 

 species treated. 



Mr. Lucas describes and figures the tongue as found in 11 species, 

 representing all the genera of North American Woodpeckers, and 

 reaches the conclusion that the evidence thus gathered "favors the view 

 that modifications of the tongue are directly related to the character of 

 the food and are not of value for classification." Granting that the 

 facts are as stated, we are reluctant to agree with Mr. Lucas's conclusion, 

 for on the same grounds w^e should have to rule out of the list of taxo- 

 nomic characters any structural feature adaptatively modified to special 

 modes of life; and these involve, in a more or less marked degree, 

 evei-y part of the organism. It wpuld be very surprising if the form of 

 the tongue should not vary markedly in accordance with the nature of 

 the food and the manner of obtaining it. Mr. Lucas's descriptions and 

 figures of Woodpeckers' tongues is a welcome and valuable conti'ibution 

 to the subject treated, which is, furthermore, one of great interest. — 

 J. A. A. 



Barrows and Schwarz on the Food of the Common Crow.' — This 

 extended report on the food of the Crow {Corz'us aincricanus), based on 

 the examination of about 1,000 stomachs, from Crows killed throughout 

 the year and over a very wide extent of country, shows with some degree 

 of accuracy and detail the real nature of the food of this much maligned 

 and commonlj' outlawed bird. Everybody has long known that Crows 

 pull the farmer's sprouting corn, and w^ill pilfer a little fruit, and destrov 

 the eggs and young of poultry and wild birds. The good they do has not 

 been so evident, although they have been generally credited with feeding 

 to some extent on cutworms, grasshoppers, field-mice and reptiles. The 

 present Bulletin shows statisticalh' and in detail the proportionate amount 

 of the animal and vegetable food consumed by the Crow and the principal 

 elements of which it consists. The verdict on the whole is decidedlv 

 favorable to the Crow, his worst trait being his decided predilection for 

 the eggs and j-oung of our native birds. Of 616 Crows killed during 

 April, May, June, and July, 50 had in their stomachs when killed the 

 remains of wild birds or of their eggs. As many of these 50 Crows were 

 nestlings, Professor Barrows concludes " that not more than i Crow in 

 20 ever becomes addicted to this sort of stealing" — a generalization for 

 which we fail to see adequate basis in the data presented. We should 

 rather say that not more than i Crow in 20 habitually partakes of the 



' Bulletin No. 6 | U. S. Department of Agriculture | Division of Ornith- 

 ology and Mammalogy | The Common Crow | of the | United States | — | By 

 Walter B. Barrows and E. A. Schwarz | [Seal] | Washington | Government 

 Printing Office | 1S95. Svo., pp. 96. 



