250 NOKTII AMERICAN 15IUD8. 



in llie tone tlian in tlic cliiiriu'ter of its cries. Its diiof dependence for 

 food beinj,' on the sea, it is generally I'ound along the beach, devouring dead 

 fish and other olijects thrown u\) liy the waves. At high tide the birds leave 

 tlie shore and resort to dwellings near the sea, where they devour the oiful 

 and any refuse, vi'getal)le or animal. As soon as the tide changes they are 

 sure to notice it and to return to their favorite feeding-ground. They are 

 very tmulilesonie to the ln(lian.s, stealing their fish e.\po.sed for drying, and 

 other articles of food. From some sujjerstitious awe of them the Indians 

 never molest these Ijirds, but set tlu,, hildren to watch and drive them 

 away. They build in trees near tiie shore, and the young are Hedged in May. 



In the southern half of California, Dr. Cooi)er states, these birds are 

 rarely seen near the sea, preferring inland disti'icts, and only occasionally 

 coming to the shores (jf the bays to feed. During most of the year they 

 associate in large Hocks, feeding in company, and are gregarious even iii the 

 breeding-season, building in ch)se proximity to one auotlier. Frequently 

 several nests may be; tViund on the same tree. In this resjiect they are very 

 uidike tlie eastern s]iecies, which never permit another pair near their nest. 



Tiiese birds wen; found by Dr. Cooper breeding as far south as San Diego, 

 where they selected fur their breeding-places the groves of evergreen oaks 

 growing in ravines. Their nests were from twelve to forty feet from (he 

 ground. In the north they generally build in sjiruce.s. lie describes their 

 nesfs as strongly built ol' sticks, coarse on the outside, Init finer on the inside, 

 where they are mingled with roots, grasses, moss, horse-hair, etc., to form a soft 

 lining. The eggs, four in nund)er, have a ground-color of a dark shade of green, 

 thickly marked with dark bi'own and olive. He gives their average measure- 

 ment as 1. 00 by l.li) inches. At San Diego they are laid abtmt A})ril 15. 



Where unmolested, these liirds have not yet become so shy as in the older 

 districts, but they soon learn to a])])rehend t\n: danger of a gun, and to evince 

 the cunning characteristics of their tribe. They have not, as yet, manifested 

 any disposition to disturli tlie growing crops, and the small de])redations they 

 commit are far nnjre than counterl)alaiiced by their destruction of immense 

 nund)ers of grubs, grass]io])pers, ami other injurious insects. They olttain a 

 large supply of food around the cattle-ranches. 



In northern California they feed largely on lish, and on the Columliia on 

 clams and oysters. 



For reasons not well understood, they avoid particular districts during the 

 lireeding-season. Dr. Coo]ier has never ncjticed one, during this season, on 

 the coast south of Santa Clara, has never seen oiu; in the Colorado Valley, 

 nor in the Sicu-ra Xevada. 



At N'isalin, wlicre an extensive fVu'cst of oaks forms an oasis in the great 

 Tulare i)Iain, lie in(;t witli large flocks of these birds, with the .same gregari- 

 ous habits as weiv obserxcd on the coast. 



i)uring tlie month of ,luly, ISOr), a large nundier of these Crows came 

 every evening to roost in an alder-grove near the town of Santa Cruz. They 



