284 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub Doc. 



Common Crow of the United States." This report is based 

 upon the examinations of the contents of nine hinuh'ed and 

 nine crows' stomachs and much information gathered from 

 correspondents. 



Most of the material except the insects found in the stom- 

 achs was examined by Prof. F. E. L. Beal, assistant orni- 

 thok)gist, and important assistance was also rendered by Dr. 

 A. K. Fisher. The insect material was examined and re- 

 ported on l)y J\Ir. E. A. Schvvarz. Professor Beal received 

 valuable assistance from Dr. George Vasey, Mr. F. V. 

 Covillc and Mr. F. A. Lucas. The names of all these emi- 

 nent specialists form a sufficient guaranty of the accuracy of 

 the work done. 



In summing up the notes for and against the crow, Dr. 

 Merriam, chief of the Division of Ornithology and Mammal- 

 ogy, says in his letter of transmittal: "The most important 

 charges brought against the crow are: (1) that it pulls 

 sprouted corn; (2) that it injures corn in the milk; (3) 

 that it destroys cultivated fruit; and (4) that it feeds on the 

 eggs and young of poultry and wild birds. All of these 

 charges are sustained by the stomach examinations, so far as 

 the simple fiict that crows feed upon the substances named." 

 But Dr. Merriam maintains that the stomach contents 

 showed plainly that a large proportion of the corn eaten is 

 chiefly waste corn ; also that the loss in case of cultivated 

 fruits is trivial, and that the same is true in regard to the 

 eggs and young of poultry and wild birds. He also says 

 that, as an oflset to the bad habits of the crow, it should be 

 credited with the good done in destroying noxious insects 

 and other injurious animals. In summing up the benefits 

 and losses from the crow, Dr. Merriam says: "It is clear 

 that the good exceeds the bad and that the crow is a friend 

 rather than an enemy to the farmer." If we are to accept 

 this conclusion as the correct one, we must believe that the 

 opinion of Professor Barrows, as quoted above, was based 

 on insufficient or incomplete data. 



In Massachusetts the chief complaints by farmers in re- 

 gard to the crow relate to its destruction of corn. It must 

 be admitted that the crow destroys considerable quantities 

 of corn soon after it is planted, either by picking or digging 



