150 BOARD OF AGRIOULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



unduly numerous. Although the crow has many enemies, 

 there are few crafty or powerful enough to destroy him. 

 The caution and intelligence of the crow are proverbial. 

 Crows, by the strength of their combined numbers, are able 

 to defy even the eagle. They have reall}^ only one eftect- 

 ive enemy besides man, and that is the great horned owl. 

 Years ago, while studying crow roosts inAVorcester Countj^, 

 I found that something was killing crows about these roosts. 

 The remains consisted mainly of feathers, nearly the entire 

 crow having been devoured in each case. After the first 

 fresh snowfall I visited an extensive roost, finding the 

 feathers and a few other remains of a freshly killed croAV. 

 At the spot where the crow was borne to the ground were 

 found the strong imprints of the characteristic wing tips of 

 the great horned owl. These owls habitually take crows 

 from their roosts or nests at night. Tn return, the crows 

 alwaj^s mob an owl if they can find one in the day time. 

 While we have been i)roscribing the crow and shooting it 

 at sight, we have been protecting it b}' shooting every owl 

 that comes within ranoe of our o-uns. No doubt it is 

 mainly for this reason that crows have multiplied, in spite 

 of this persecution. In our "robin roost" the crows are 

 now in the ascendant ; even the jays raised but three broods 

 there last season. One brood was taken by a hawk and 

 one at least by crows before they were fully fledged.* 



Hawks are perhaps better fitted than any other creature 

 to pursue and kill other birds, and certain of them may be 

 regarded as among the worst enemies of birds ; but they 

 have not been placed first in our list of bird enemies, be- 

 cause they are not especially numerous in the vicinity of 

 the farm. Although all hawks when hungry will seize 

 other birds whenever they can get them, there are only a 

 few that are quick enough to follow and catch other birds 

 in flight. Most of our hawks, therefore, content them- 

 selves mainly with picking up such insects, small mammals, 

 reptiles and frogs as they can easil}^ get, and such birds as 

 they are able to catch unawares. The Cooper's hawk, sharp- 



* Crows are sometimes attacked by a contagious disease, either identical with 

 or similar to the roup of poultry. See " The Auk," Vol. XX, p. 57. 



