35 



seems, in the present state of our knowledge on the subject, largely 

 a matter of opinion. When we consider, for reasons previously 

 given, that in all probability the stomachs examined did not give 

 a full record of the devastation committed in this manner by the 

 crow, it seems possible that the bird may deserve the bad name it 

 has been given as a destroyer of the youog and eggs of other birds. 

 But it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine, at least by stomach 

 examinations of the crow, whether the birds that are destroyed or 

 those resulting from the eggs even would have been of sufficient 

 economic value, if allowed to live, to more than offset the balance 

 in favor of the crow for services rendered by destroying insects 

 and injurious mammals. 



It is evident, from the excellent report made by Mr. E. A. 

 Schwarz on the examination of the insect food contained in the 

 crows' stomachs obtained by the Department of Agriculture, that 

 the crow would be a great blessing to the farmer during the spring, 

 summer and early fall, were its diet confined to insects.* Its ser- 

 vices in destroying grasshoppers and May beetles and their progeny, 

 the destructive white grub, are not generally appreciated. Add to 

 them the destruction of cut worms, click beetles and weevils and 

 other destructive insects, and the farmer is well able to spare such 

 of his insect friends as the crow destroys, i. e., the ground beetles 

 and soldier bugs. We must, therefore, agree with Mr. Schwarz 

 that "the facts, on the whole, speak overwhelmingly in favor of 

 the crow, and, taken alone, would be at variance with the preva- 

 lent opinion hitherto held and yet held regarding the economic 

 status of the crow as an insectivorous bird." Mr. Schwarz makes 

 some rather sweeping generalizations, however, based on the re- 

 sults of the examinations of stomach contents, which do not agree 

 with recorded observations carefully made in eastern Massachu- 

 setts. He says : " The insect food of crows is almost exclusively 

 composed of terrestrial species, i. e., such as are found on the sur- 

 face of the ground or hide during the daytime at the base of plants 

 or under the various objects lying on the surface ; or such as live 

 in the dung of domestic animals, in decaying vegetable and animal 

 matter or underground." And again: "The almost complete 

 absence of the numerous arboreal insects of all orders, i. e., such 

 insects as are to be found on or which live on the trunks, limbs or 

 leaves of trees and shrubs, indicates that the birds when sitting or 

 resting on trees do not pick up insects." 



To those who have observed crows feeding in summer in orchards 

 or forest trees for considerable periods on some of the larger cater- 



* "The Coraraou Crow of the United States," pages 56, 67. 



