498 BOAKD OF AGRICULTUKE. [Pub. Doc. 



borough, Bristol County.) "Have seen feathers of birds 

 around his l)urrow. Where the fox lives, the game disap- 

 pears." (A. C. Southworth, Lakeville, Plymouth County.) 



This evidence, like the rest, is largely circumstantial ; 

 but it seems sufficient to prejudice the case of the fox, 

 somewhat, and leads to the belief that in some localities we 

 may have too many foxes. The fox is well able to take 

 care of itself. Its natural enemies have been nearly all 

 extirpated, and it must be kept within bounds, or it may 

 become a pest. Under ordinary conditions, however, there 

 are fox hunters enough to hold the fox in check. 



Tlie Common Crow. — The crow is now regarded by so 

 many people as a useful and much-maligned bird, that it 

 may not be out of place to present here some of the evi- 

 dence against it. I have already given to this Board some 

 of my experience with the crow, concerning its destructive- 

 ness to birds,* and Avill only say here that I have repeat- 

 edly observed crows in the act of destroying the eggs and 

 young of other birds ; they are so addicted to nest-robbing 

 that it is a wonder that any young of the smaller birds can 

 be reared where crows are numerous, and my experience 

 indicates that in some cases very few are actually reared in 

 such localities. Since, in view of my own experience, I 

 may be considered as prejudiced against the bird, I will 

 quote mainly from new evidence secured in this inquiry. 

 It will be impossible to present here more than a small part 

 of the evidence received, giving it in the words of the wit- 

 nesses, to avoid any possible distortion. 



In a letter written by Mr. Ingalls, in 189(i, he says: "I 

 have seen the nests of many birds of several species, from 

 the rufi'ed grouse to the red-eye and chippy, robbed before 

 my own eyes, and have evidence of many more. Every 

 season, late in May or early in June, the crows make a raid 

 on the birds nestino^ in the shade trees along our village 

 streets and in orchards and private grounds, systematical]}^ 

 searching every tree, destroying nests, and eating or carry- 

 ing away the eggs and young." Now, after eight years 



* Report Massachusetts Statfe Board of Agriculture, 1896, "The crow in 

 Massachusetts," p. 285; see also ibid., 1902, p. 147. 



