The Audubon Societies 



203 



the Crow will be seen from the following 

 review of the four most important 

 orders. . . ." 



Or he might have gone on to the "Con- 

 clusion" and quoted this: 



"The misdeeds of which the Crow has 

 been convicted greatly outnumber its 

 virtues, but these are not necessarily equal 

 in importance. Much of its damage to 

 crops and poultry can be prevented, while 

 the bird's services in the control of insect 

 pests can ill be spared. At the same time, 

 no policy can be recommended which 

 would allow the Crow to become so num- 

 erous that its shortcomings would be 

 greatly accentuated. As the capabilities 

 of the Crow for both good and harm are 

 great, it is believed that an extermination 

 of the species would have ultimate con- 

 sequences no less serious than an over- 

 abundance." 



He could hardly, however, have been 

 expected to quote the very last statement 

 in the bulletin which reads as follows: 



"Bounties cannot be recommended; 

 neither can a campaign of wholesale de- 

 struction where complete extermination is 

 the object sought. However, a reasonable 

 reduction of numbers is justiiiable in areas 

 where there is an overabundance of the 

 birds. The attitude of the individual 

 farmer toward the Crow should be one of 

 toleration when no serious losses are suf- 

 fered, rather than one of uncompromising 

 antagonism resulting in the unwarranted 

 destruction of these birds which at times 

 are most valuable aids to man." 



It may be remarked incidentally in pass- 

 ing that it is understood that the Powder 

 Company that originated and is fostering 

 this movement advises dealers in sporting 

 goods to encourage the killing of Crows as 

 it means an increased sale of cartridges. 

 This ofi&ce has received these circulars from 

 various sections and has noticed the ex- 

 tensive publicity which has been given 

 with a view of encouraging the undertak- 

 ing. We have also received various com- 

 plaints regarding local shoots that this 

 circular has inspired. For example, under 

 date of April 19, 1919, a gentleman at 

 Rapidan, Minn., writes: 



"So-called sportsmen and other persons 

 have organized at Mankato, Minn., with 

 the point in view of killing off Crows, 

 Blackbirds, and certain Owls and Hawks. 

 They have offered 10 cents per Crow's 

 head. The Crows cannot last long, for 

 boys will go out and rob the nests of young 

 ones at this price. The Crows do very little 

 harm here. The Hawks and Owls that 

 have a price on their heads are either 

 beneficial or so rare as to do very little 

 harm. If you can do something about 

 this, do it." 



So it seems that the Crow tribe is to be 

 slaughtered. There is no law, either state 

 or Federal, protecting the Crow, and there 

 appears to be a sentiment in many quarters 

 that the Crow is a bad actor, and the world 

 would be better off if the last member of 

 his tribe should be gathered to his ances- 

 tors. 



Nevertheless, there are those who enter- 

 tain the feeling that possibly the Crow is 

 not so black as he is painted, and that he 

 possesses certain beneficial qualities and 

 has his part to play in the great economy 

 of nature. Personally, I have always liked 

 the Crow, who is not only very astute, but 

 his presence often gives life to an other- 

 wise barren winter landscape. If the Crows 

 should all disappear, I, for one, would miss 

 them. I would not have every Crow killed 

 any more than I would every Humming- 

 bird or gray wolf or shark in the ocean. 

 To some of us it seems a calamity that the 

 last Dodo, Great Auk, Passenger Pigeon, 

 or even the great Dinornis should have 

 passed away. With the departure of each 

 species of wild life the world loses some- 

 thing of its charm. 



This nation has existed and been fairly 

 prosperous for over one hundred and forty 

 years with the Crows in our woods or 

 decorating our fields, their numbers, on the 

 whole, being kept within reasonable bounds 

 in most localities by the usual destructive 

 agencies. Why the necessity for this sud- 

 den nation-wide effort to kill them? Is the 

 motive back of the enterprise a desire on 

 the part of a commercial interest to con- 

 tinue the sale of powder now that the 

 demand for this commodity across the 



