38 



of the time, although the old birds flew away for a time, returning 

 later. The young birds appeared to attack the caterpillars and 

 chrysalids more eagerly than did their parents. 



The crows not only search the crevices of the trunks of the trees 

 but pry about beneath the limbs, showing that they quite readily 

 adapt themselves to feeding in the trees. Not only do crows fre- 

 quent the more open places where the caterpillars have stripped 

 the trees, but they are frequently seen feeding in woods in locali- 

 ties where larvae are not so plentiful, and undoubtedly pick up 

 many species during the season when the various caterpillars are 

 found upon the trees. On one occasion Mr. Mosher saw a crow 

 search out and eat four forest tent caterpillars {Clisiocampa sylvat- 

 ica) , after which it moved from tree to tree apparently engaged 

 in the same occupation. 



If the habits of the crow in Massachusetts are not exceptional, 

 then it must be admitted that the crow obtains much insect food 

 from trees during a portion of the summer. This habit of cater- 

 pillar eating must be set down to the credit of the crow in this 

 region, and is certainly one strong point in its favor. 



The Protection op Crops 

 It would seem that in Massachusetts greater injury is done by 

 the crow to the corn crop than to any other, and it has been a time- 

 honored custom to place effigies supposed to represent the human 

 figure, or dangling strings, dead crows or other " scarecrows " in 

 corn fields. Though these artifices often keep crows away from 

 corn, they do not always succeed in accomplishing the object, and 

 their use is not to be generally recommended, even if successful, 

 for by driving the crows away from corn fields the farmer loses 

 their services as a destroyer of noxious insects. Fields of corn 

 located at a distance from farm buildings and those near woods in 

 which the crow nests are likely to suffer most if unprotected. If 

 the crows can be prevented from attacking the corn when first 

 planted or when it first appears above the surface, there seems 

 little danger, in Massachusetts, that they will feed on the corn at 

 all. For many years farmers have been in the habit of soaking 

 their seed corn, to cause it to germinate quickly, and then smear- 

 ing it with tar. The taste of tar is known to be repugnant to 

 crows and blackbirds, and will prevent them from pulling the corn, 

 for when they have pulled a few stalks they apparently conclude 

 that all the corn is tainted in the same way, and will take no more 

 from that field. The receipt commonly used is to place a half 

 bushel or more of soaked corn in a vessel and enough coal or gas 

 tar to give each kernel a thin coat, when the mass is stirred with a 



