88% REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Cottman). (7) One near Brown's Valley, Montgomery County, not 

 large (J. S. Wright). (8) One about three-quarters of a mile north of 

 Camargo, 111. Tens of thousands roost in a scrub oak grove. It is said 

 Crows from there range nearly or quite across -the first two tiers of 

 counties of Indiana east of that point. Twenty or thirty years ago, 

 it is said, they flew from the roost to Terre Haute, Vigo County; Ar- 

 miesburg and Montezuma (Parke County), and Clinton, Vermillion 

 County, for their morning feed upon the refuse of slaughter-houses, 

 which then existed at each place. (9) Probably 500 birds roost at night 

 in the two cemeteries at Vincennes through the winter (J. A. Balmer, 

 1889). (10) Mr. R. R. Moffitt reports a Crow Roost at Slim Timber, 

 White County, about 12 miles west of Brookston and 21 northwest of 

 Lafayette. He estimates 100,000 Crows winter there. In the southern 

 part of Franklin County crows are noted flying in a southeastern direc- 

 tion, as though a roost existed in that direction in Ohio (H. F. Bain). 

 The following account of the roost near Irvington was written by Mr. 

 W. P. Hay, February 24, 1890, and is published in Bulletin No. 6, 

 Div. of 0. and M., U. S. Dept. of Agr., pp. 18, 19. 



"For several years the Common Crow has been very abundant about 

 here, especially in winter. Every morning at about half past 5 a great 

 string of Crows, extending as far as the eye can reach, can be seen 

 flying toward the south. At about 4 o'clock in the evening they re- 

 turn. On the 15th of February I visited a roost which is situated 

 about 2 miles north of here. It is in a thick beech wood of perhaps 

 50 acres. I reached the place at about half-past 4, and in a few mo- 

 ments the Crows began to arrive. They came in five 'streams' from 

 the north, northeast, northwest, south and southeast. Soon the trees 

 were black with them, ancl the noise they made was almost deafening. 

 After being shot at several times, they all congregated in one corner 

 of the wood, and when shot at again left the trees and settled on the 

 ground in the neighboring fields. They were now so badly scared 

 that it was impossible to get within gunshot; so, throwing myself 

 upon the ground-, to be as near as possible out of sight, I began to imi- 

 tate, as well as I could, the cawing of the Crow. Almost immediately 

 they answered, and every crow in the field came circling over me. At 

 first they were perhaps 200 feet in the air. They all would caw as 

 loudly as possible for perhaps a half -minute, then they would be still. 

 If answered, they would come lower and caw again. It was so near 

 dark I suppose they could not see me, and at last they were within 20 

 or 30 feet of the ground. I shot and they flew away, but returned as 

 soon as I began to imitate them again. At last they all departed for 

 another woods," 



