THE OOLOGIST. 



147 



The American Grow. 



For some two years now, the Ornith- 

 ologist's Association has been making a 

 special study of the Crow. Of course, 

 the great question is as to its utility, or 

 its destructiveness. That it does much 

 mischief no one doubts, but on the 

 other hand, is these a possible balance 

 in its favor. Iu order to determine 

 this question, the Crows must be close- 

 ly watched throughout the year, many 

 must be killed and the contents of their 

 stomachs examined. Before we decide 

 on the protection or destruction of any 

 class of birds, there should be a wide 

 l-ange of inductive study, and a very 

 cautious deduction. Some of our mem- 

 bers, particularly Mr. Harry K. Man- 

 nakee, to whose careful observation 

 over rnaiw years the substance of this 

 article must be attributed, have given 

 much attention to the. study of the Crow. 



In respect to the destructive propen- 

 sities of the species the most noted 

 item is in the corn held. When the 

 corn first comes up in the Spring, the 

 Crow will start his line of march ou a 

 row and take out each hill as he goes 

 along, probing his bill straight down by 

 the tender blade and digging up the 

 soft kernel at the root, thus leaving the 

 blade to whither on the surface. As 

 this mischief occurs during the feather- 

 ing of the young, they are feci on the 

 softened grain. Keeping up a great 

 racket as the parent bird brings the 

 food. As the species is not gregarious 

 at this time of year, but is widely dis- 

 tributed over the vast corn fields in the 

 vicinity of forests, the depredation is 

 widely extended and not striking- 

 enough to be closely observed. 



The next period of mischief is when 

 the corn is yet tender in the ear. Then 

 the birds light on the ear, pull open the 

 outer end and the upper side and take 

 off a large portion of grain, leaving the 

 remainder exposed to the weather, and 

 thus ruining the whole ear. Mr. Man- 



nakee is sure that he has seen not less 

 than a thousand at once engaged in 

 thus damaging the corn fields of Mary- 

 land. After the corn is cut the Crows 

 continue in the fields, lighting on the 

 shocks aucl opening the ears as before. 

 Less damage is done at this time, how- 

 ever, as the corn is less exposed. 



When the wheat is shocked the Crow 

 shai^es the harvest, sometimes alighting 

 on shocks in such numbers as to utterly 

 blacken them. At such times Mr. M. 

 has taken as many as seven at one shot. 



Next in importance is the destruction 

 of the young and the eggs of the smaller 

 birds. It is safe to say that this js a 

 favorite item in the Crow's bill of fare. 

 It has a sharp eye, is ever on the alert, 

 and none of the small birds nests, 

 whether in trees or on the ground, are 

 exempt, unless it be the Woodpeckers 

 and such other birds as nest in close 

 cavities. As the small birds are espec- 

 ially insectivei'ous, the damage is great. 

 Just here it may be proper to say that 

 only those who make a study of bird's 

 nests, can form any conception of the 

 number of them which are destroyed in 

 various ways, probably .not less than 

 one-half. 



Few people in the North, where the 

 farms are comparatively small and for 

 the most part clea'red and under culti- 

 vation, can form any conception of the 

 mischief done by the Crows to hen's 

 nests in the South, where the immense 

 tracts of pine woods become alike a 

 rendezvous and a breeding jDlace. A 

 great deal of poultry also is kept in 

 these parts, and the flocks Avander more 

 extensively than they would be allowed 

 to do in more highly cultivated districts. 

 Hence the Crow "has a continual feast 

 on fresh eggs and young chickens. He 

 knows where the out-Jying hen's nests 

 are, perches in the neighborhood and 

 waits for hours for biddy to be deliv- 

 ered of her egg. When she leaves the 

 nest Mr. Crow loses no time in antici- 

 pating the owner of the premises. 



