226 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



FIGHT BETWEEN TWO CROWS AND A FOX 

 SQUIRREL. 



About three o'clock in the afternoon of a bright sunshiny day in June, 

 I was taking a pleasure ride on my wheel in Garfield Park, one of the 

 Cleveland public parks, I was riding along the main driveway which is 

 lined with tall oaks, cedars and maples when I heard a loud screeching 

 from overhead. 



I got off my wheel and looked about to see where it came from, when 

 suddenly I saw a large crow fly upwards from a tall oak, whirl about and 

 dart down at something in the top of the tree. Its mate soon did the same 

 as the former. 



I tried to discover the cause for this funny performance by walking 

 around the tree and peering through the places where the foliage was 

 scarce. Near the top of the tree I could see a nest which the crows 

 seemed to be trying to guard against some intruder, but could see no cause 

 for their funny performance and making such a racket, 



I was just going to get on my wheel and ride off, when 1 saw the crows 

 fly downward from the top of the tree and pick at something which seem- 

 ed to be coming down the tree. I now thought it must be a snake as 1 

 had often heard of snakes climbing trees to get birds eggs. 1 waited a 

 minute and a large fox squirrel came running down the side of the tree 

 and^stopped on one of the lower branches which was about thirty feet 

 from the ground. 



1 now found out the cause of the crows acting so. The squirrel had 

 been after the eggs in the nest and the crows had been trying to defend 

 their nest from him. 



The crows not satisfied with driving the squirrel from their nest came 

 darting at him again. The squirrel in trying to defend himself from their 

 attack lost his balance and fell to the ground. 



I thought he must be hurt so I ran toward the spot where he lay to see 

 if I could catch him and see how badly the crows had hurt him. 1 got 

 within about seven feet of him when he jumped up and ran to a nearby 

 tree. I got near enough to see that the crows had in several places pierc- 

 ed through his skin and pulled off quite a bit of his fur. The place on 

 which he fell on the ground was a spot of blood from the wounds the crows 

 had given him. J- f- goss, Ohio. 



Guy Emerson of Duxbury, Mass., reports seeing a partly Albino Robin, 

 the tail, wings and head being nearly a pure white, while the body was 

 the usual robin color. It was with several other robins and was last seen 

 on July 19th. 



