48 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



Dr. Warren. Since the days of Audubon and Wilson 

 the common crow has had his friends and enemies among 

 eminent naturalists, but the most recent investigations which 

 have been made by food specialists, particularly by Dr. 

 Merriam of Washington, prove quite conclusively that the 

 common American crow is detrimental to agriculture It is 

 true that the crow feeds on grubs, cut-worms, and at times 

 on field mice, but the number of field mice which the crow 

 destroys is not great. In the spring, when the different 

 species of our native birds begin to build their nests, he de- 

 stroys large numbers of their young and of their eggs. The 

 crow is also a lover of young poultry and the eggs of our 

 domestic fowls. He loves to visit a corn field. It is a 

 question among some naturalists whether the depredations 

 which he commits in the spring are not counterbalanced by 

 the good he does. In some sections of the country farmers 

 tar their corn, and in that way prevent the crow from feed- 

 ing upon it. But, in direct reply to the gentleman's ques- 

 tion, I will say that the ornithologists wb.o have investigated 

 the crow assert that he is detrimental. 



Question. Does the kingbird do any good to the far- 

 mer? He is a great lover of bees. Does he give anything 

 in return? 



Dr. Warren. The kingbird is one of the fly-catchers. 

 All the fly-catchers feed to a greater or less extent on bees, 

 but the kingbird is the one which preys to the greatest ex- 

 tent upon the honey-bee. He feeds chiefly, however, upon 

 insects other than the honey-bee. He is a great catcher of 

 flies. The kingbird should be protected by the farmer. 

 The kingbird is a common summer resident in this region. 

 He builds in apple trees and pear trees about our houses. 



Secretary Sessions. I would like to have you give us, in 

 as few words as possible, the results of your examination of 

 the stomachs of English sparrows. 



Dr. Warren. Professor Everhardt and myself examined 

 the stomach contents of one hundred and fourteen English 

 sparrows captured in the borough of West Chester and vi- 

 cinity during all the months of the year. Fourteen of those 

 birds were young ones taken from the nest, the others were 

 adult birds. Of this number, five had fed upon insects, the 



