370 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



evidence that they pull young corn for any other purpose than to get the kernel at 

 the root. 



The depredations of the common crow do not cease, except temporarily, when the 

 young plants are too well rooted to be pulled with ease. After the ears are formed 

 and the kernels well filled out the crow again visits the corn-fields, and sometimes 

 does serious damage. At that time the young are as large as their parents, several 

 families are commonly associated in a flock, and such a party is capable of a large 

 amount of mischief in a comparatively short time. About fifty complaints of injury 

 to "green corn," "corn in the milk," " roasting ears," and "ripening corn," have 

 been received. 



INJURY TO OTHER CEREALS THAN CORN. 



Although the crow attacks and injures other grains than corn its depredations on 

 these crops are far less general and serious. About fifty reports of such injury have 

 been received, the losses complained of relating to wheat, rye, oats, barley, and rice. 

 As with corn, the greatest damage is done by pulling up the sprouting grain, but 

 more or less is eaten while ripening, or even when hard. 



DAMAGE TO OTHER CROPS. 



About a dozen reports, nearly all from New England and Canada, mention the 

 crow as destructive to potatoes, the worst mischief being done by pulling up the 

 young plants in order to get the partly decayed pieces plan ted as " seed." Occasion- 

 ally sweet potatoes and beans are pulled up in the same way, and in rome of the 

 southern states the crow digs up peanuts, both as seed and when ripening, some- 

 times causing considerable loss. The following notes from correspondents illustrate 

 this class of injuries : 



From S. F. Cheney, Grand Manan, New Brunswick : 



The crow will take the potato seed out of the hill and pull up the potatoes when nearly ready 

 to hoe. 



From Manly Hardy, Brewer, Me. : 



I have known newly planted potatoes to be destroyed by^the acre. Have only known crows 

 to attack potatoes within a few years (1885.) 



From Charles F. Goodhue, Webster, N. H. : 



Crows are very troublesome some years by pulling corn and digging up newly planted pota- 

 toes, destroying both just as they appear above ground. The damage done to corn and potatoes 

 varies from a few hills to nearly two acres. Sometimes nearly the whole crop is destroyed. 



From Walter Hoxie, Frogmore, S. C. : 



The crow destroys seed corn and rice invariably, unless tarred. It is yet more destructive to 

 peanuts and sweet potatoes. 



From John M. Richardson, Daingerfield, Tex.: 



I have known the crow, assembling in immense flocks, to do great harm to the pindar (peanut) 

 crop in South Carolina. As the nuts approach maturity the fields had to be guarded by men and 

 boys with guns from early dawn to late dusk. 



In some parts of the country the crow seems to have acquired a taste for water- 

 melons, doing no little damage to this important crop. Mr. H. E. VanDeman states 

 that at one time, on his farm at Genoa, Kans., he was obliged to cover some of 

 his watermelons with grass, weeds, etc., in order to protect them from a family 

 of crows which otherwise would have ruined them all. They began to "plug" 

 the melons as soon as they were nearly ripe, going from one to another until 

 they found one which suited them, spoiling many wnich they did not eat. Re- 

 ports of similar damage have been received from Georgia and South Carolina, 

 one planter complaining that his melons are attacked before they are half grown, 

 and another estimating his loss from the same cause at 10 per cent, of the crop. 



Occasionally crows do much damage to ripening fruit, but they generally find an 

 abundant supply of wild fruits, and do not care to run the risk of a near approach 

 to the garden unless the display is particularly tempting. 



From the fact that crows feed largely on wild grapes, it seems a little strange that 



