COIiVlD.E — '1 E c n's. 



2")3 



Jersey, and in the re<n(»iis iMU-dcrin*' on the Sclmvikill and tlie Delaware, near 

 riiihuUdjtIiia, durinu tlie slunl and lirrrini: lisliing, "r from March till dune. 



I)urinn' the luft'dinLj-st'a.snn thev were observed to separate into iiairs, and 

 to hnild tlieir nests in tall trees near the sea (»r the river shor(\ One ot" their 

 nests was in a tall wood at (Ircat Egg llarhor, and they were presumed to 

 have four or five yiamg at a time. 



In the District of Columltia, Dr. Coues found the Fish Crow to he an 

 ahundant resident thnjughout the year, less wary and suspicious than the 

 common Crctw, and more confined to the borders of rivers. It was generally 

 confounded with C. amcrifnims. 



The Fish (Jrow ajtpears to have received, even if it does not merit, an 

 exemption from the general unpopularity of its race. It is generally believed 

 to be at least a harmless s[»ecies, and in its destruction of reptiles and ver- 

 min to be even beneficial. This belief, ''ve ajjprehend, is for the nio.st ])art 

 well founded. Yet Mr. Audu])on accuses these < 'rows of entering gardens 

 and feeding upon the best fruits. He also states that, near Charleston, they 

 commit such de})redations u}>on the ripe figs, and become so troublesome 

 generally in the gardens, that it is often found necessary to station a man 

 near the fig-trees to shoot and destroy them. 



The Fish Crow is confined either to the maritime districts or to the banks 

 of rivers branching from them. Audubon stiites that they ascend the Dela- 

 ware to (piite a distance, and that some bree«l in Xew Jersey every year, but 

 tliat all retire to the South on the ap])r(»ach of ccdd weather. Some go up 

 the ^rississi]>pi to the distance of five hundred miles, l»ut return to the sea- 

 shore in the winter In Eiist Florida, where they were very a' undant, Mr. 

 Audubon found them breeding in February, in South Carolina on ^he 2(ith 

 of >Jarch, and in Xew Jersey a month later, (^n the St. John's liiver, dur- 

 ing Februarv, he saw them in flocks of several hundred, l>ut all seemed 

 mated and to move in ]>airs. sailing high in the air in the manner of IJavens. 

 After these at^rial excursions the whole body descended to the water's edge to 

 feed. When their fisliing was over, they would alight in flocks on the live- 

 oaks near the shore, and there kee]) u]» their gabbling, while they plumed 

 themselves, for hours. They then retui'ued to their fishiug-grounds, wheie they 

 remained until ni'ar sunset, niovinu' into the intta'ior to ureat distances, to roost 

 on the loblolly-pines. Tliese retrinds were made in silence, but their return 

 to the sea-.shore in the early morninu' was made with noisv and li^ dv denion- 

 strations. They were then to be seen among the bays, rivers, salt ponds, and 

 marshes, searching for small fry, and ])i(*king u]) any garbage they might find. 



Mr. Audubon also accuses them of rob])ing other birds of taeir eggs and 

 young. This was especially ol^served on the Florida Keys, where they even 

 dared to plunder the nests of the Cormorants aiul White This. They feed 

 largely on the small crabs called fiddlers, which they pursue and easily cap- 

 ture in their burrows. He has also seen them attack and pursue small Culls 

 and Terns, and attempt to make them disgitrge the fish they have caught ; but 



