° 1906 ] Hunt, Change of Location of a Crow Roost. 431 



report of a revolver failed to dislodge any. Our friend was disgusted ; 

 I believe he thought we were playing some pratical joke on him. 

 But where were the crows? Had they taken up domestic cares 

 already, and was the roost forsaken for the season? Only the 

 previous week, February 25, I had seen a big flight toward the roost. 

 It did not seem likely that they would break up the roost so sudden- 



March 11 was spent on Pensauken Creek. Toward evening, as 

 we were walking to our homeward bound trolley, I noticed a flight 

 of crows passing over, flying high, but apparently in the direction 

 of the roost. I proposed that we should go over to it and see if the 

 crows were not there, but my friend — he who had been disappoint- 

 ed the week before — did not care to accompany me, so we said 

 good night and I set out alone. 



When I neared the woodland where the roost had been situated 

 I noticed that a flight of crows was passing directly over it and going 

 to the northwest ; so I changed my course and followed them. They 

 led me through muddy cornfields, past a little stream where the first 

 Killdeers of the season greeted me with their cheery call; past a 

 clump of woods where a large owl left his perch with noiseless wing 

 and sought a darker retreat among the trees, and on to a patch of 

 woodland a little less than a mile northwest of the old roost. 



Two flight lines were coming in and a great many crows were 

 already in the woods. Here was the solution of the problem. The 

 crows had changed their roosting place, for what reason I am unable 

 to say. Possibly some of the nearby farmers — always at war 

 with them — had disturbed them. 



In reaching this new roost the direction of flight had changed, so 

 that we missed them entirely the week before. 



The near approach of the nesting season had no doubt lessened 

 their numbers, but here the main body had assembled, and the 

 old roosting place had been entirely deserted. One would think 

 that a few, from habit, would stick to the old roost but they seemed 

 to have, with one accord, sought new sleeping quarters. 



