BIRDS OF KANSAS 85 



but to the gallant and quarrelsome Kingbird, he submits 

 like a coward, and driven to seek shelter, even on the 

 ground, from the repeated blows of his antagonist, sneaks 

 off well contented to save his life." 



Their nests are placed on branches, near the trunks or 

 bodies of trees and bushes, in the forests, and in the vicin- 

 ity of dwellings, six to thirty feet from the ground. 

 They are rudely composed of small sticks, roots and various 

 kinds of material at hand, strongly interwoven, and lined 

 with fine rootlets. Eggs four or five, 1.10x.82 ; olive, 

 sparingly spotted with drab and olive brown; in form, 

 ovate. 



XXI. AMERICAN CROW. 

 Corvus americanus (Amx). 



Resident; abundant in the eastern part of the State, 

 not common in the western portion. Begin laying the 

 last of March to the first of April. 



HABITAT. North America, from the fur countries to 

 Mexico. 



Iris dark brown; bill, legs, feet and claws black. 



As much as I love the birds, I cannot find it in my 

 heart to put in a plea for this well known nest-robber and 

 bird of ill repute, for their thievish propensities are too 

 great to attempt to show that the good they do overbalances 

 the harm. Various are the ways resorted to by the farmer 

 to not only scare them away but to destroy them. Not- 

 withstanding this, the cunning, sagacious birds manage 

 to live and thrive in their midst. They are rather gre- 

 garious and social in their habits, often assembling together 

 in large flocks, and they select and have common roosting 

 places, where they gather from miles and miles around, 



