28G BOx^RD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ornithologists, and it is probable that most species of birds 

 whose nests the crow can readily find and reach sufler at one 

 time or another from such depredations. Although the 

 writer has never seen the crow actually taking young birds 

 from the nest, he has been told by many trustworthy ob- 

 servers that they have frequently seen the crows in the 

 act. Early in the morning, before people are astir, the crow 

 will approach the farm-house, robbing the nests of small 

 birds in the orchard and about the buildings. Those of 

 the smaller birds whose nests are largest and most ex- 

 posed, such "as the robin, the red- winged blackbird and 

 some of the thrushes, probal)ly sutl'er most. Mr. Mosher 

 says that he has seen the nests of smaller species, such as the 

 chipping sparrow and red-eyed vireo, robbed l)y the crow. 

 Those birds whose nests are most conspicuous sufter most 

 frequentl}^ from its attacks. A virco's nest which was placed 

 within thirty yards of a crow's nest, but carefully concealed 

 under the leaves, was not troubled by the crows. A nest of 

 the ruffed grouse was left unmolested, although it was 

 within a hundred yards of a crow's nest. Mr. Bailey speaks 

 of another which was placed immediately beneath a tree that 

 contained a nest in which a pair of crows reared their young, 

 the grouse rearing her young unmolested meanwhile. It 

 seems probable that all these nests must have been discov- 

 ered by the crows sooner or later. Whether these particular 

 crows had not become addicted to the nest-robbing habit, or 

 whether they preferred to dwell at peace with their neigh- 

 bors, must be left to the reader to conjecture.* 



In the preliminary report on the food of crows, published 

 in 1888, and based on the results of dissections of only 

 eighty-six stomachs and information received from upwards 

 of five hundred persons, Dr. Barrows writes as follows in 

 regard to the destruction of the eggs and young of wild 

 birds by the crow : — 



" No observant person will deny that the crow does serious 

 damage to the eggs and young of wild birds. The instances 



* A correspondent, Thomas Proctor, Esq., Brooklyn, N. Y., writes that a pair of 

 crows had a nest in Prospect Park in that city a few j'ears since, and that a robin's 

 nest was placed on the top of a post within seventy -five feet of the crow's nest and 

 in plain view ; the young robins were not disturbed by the crows, though they were 

 frequently exposed during the absence of their parents. 



