170 



BIRDS IN THEIR RELATIONS TO MAN. 



A number of observers have reported that the crow kills 

 and eats field-mice and pocket gophers. Others claim that 

 it is useful as a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It is also 

 known to feed largely on various wild berries, such as those 

 of the Virginia creeper, dogwood, bayberry, red cedar, elder, 

 wintergreen, poke weed, smilax, poison-ivy, and poison- 

 sumach. It scatters the seeds of these plants far and wide, 

 and the fact of its thus aiding in the distribution of poison- 

 ivy and poison-sumach has been considered one point against 

 the bird. 



Professor Barrows has summarized the evidence for and 

 against the crow as follows: "(1) Crows seriously damage 

 the corn crop, and injure other grain crops, usually to a less 

 extent. (2) They damage other farm crops to some extent, 

 frequently doing much mischief. (3) They are very de- 

 structive to the eggs and young of domesticated fowls. (4) 

 They do incalculable damage to the eggs and young of native 

 birds. (5) They do much harm by the distribution of seeds 

 of poison-ivy, poison-sumach, and perhaps other noxious 

 plants. (6) They do much harm by the destruction of bene- 

 ficial insects. On the other hand, (1) They do much good 

 by the destruction of injurious insects. (2) They are largely 



