THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 5 



In presenting part of this information the writer can do no better 

 than quote from Bendire : x 



Nest building in the more southern States begins sometimes by February 20, 

 and correspondingly later northward. In the vicinity of Washington, District 

 of Columbia, fresh eggs may be occasionally found in the last week in March, 

 but more frequently during the first two weeks in April. Along our northern 

 border they nest generally about the beginning of May ; and even in the most 

 northern portions of their range they have been known to breed equally early, 

 but most frequently nidification here is protracted well into June. In Idaho, 

 Washington, and Oregon it is at its height between April 15 and May 20. The 

 nests are bulky, usually well constructed, and placed in the forks of branches, 

 generally well up and hard to reach. Occasionally one is placed near the main 

 trunk, this being mostly the case where bushy cedars or junipers are used. Any 

 sort of tree may be chosen for a nesting site, providing it is one of dense 

 foliage, which will hide the nest well. In some localities pine trees seem to be 

 preferred, while in others oaks are often selected. In the West cottonwoods, 

 junipers, and willows are most frequently used.. Nests are usually placed at 

 heights varying from 20 to 60 feet ; but I have found some barely 6 feet from 

 the ground, and in many localities in the West they are rarely placed over 20 

 feet up. Here also they are said to occasionally nest on the ground, but I have 

 never observed this personally. Crows rarely nest in deep forests, the borders 

 of woods and the river bottoms being preferred for such purposes. The nests 

 are composed outwardly of sticks, weed stalks, corn husks, and other coarse 

 material, and lined with grapevine bark, fine roots, dry grass, leaves, straw, 

 moss, rags, wool, and hair, the lining varying in different localities. Where 

 cattle are plenty the nests are often found lined with more or less of their hair. 

 These finer materials are well quilted together. The outer diameter of the nest 

 is usually about 24 inches by 9 inches in depth. The inner cup is from 4 to 6 

 inches deep and from 12 to 15 inches in diameter. This prevents the eggs 

 from being thrown out of the nest during high winds when placed in slender 

 branches in the extreme tops of trees. 



The number of eggs to a set varies from four to eight. Sets of five are most 

 commonly found, while those of seven are rare, and those of eight quite unusual. 

 Mr. A. C. Kernpton. Wolfville, Nova Scotia, writes me that he found a set of ten 

 eggs in the spring of 1890, which he believes were laid by the same bird. In the 

 Western States usually from three to five eggs constitute a set, and those of 

 six, according to my observations, are much rarer than in the East. Incubation 

 lasts about eighteen days, and both parents assist in this duty. The young are 

 born blind and naked, and remain in the nest about three weeks. While crows 

 steal many of the eggs of other birds, they apparently do not molest any of 

 their own kind, but if several pairs nest close together they will steal nesting 

 material from each other whenever an opportunity occurs. The old nests are 

 resorted to for several seasons in succession where not molested. Only one 

 brood is raised in a season ; if the first eggs are taken, they usually lay a second 

 set, but rarely in the same nest. When the young are nearly fledged, they may 

 often be seen sitting on the rim of the nest or on branches close by, watching 

 for the return of the parents with food, and keeping up an incessant clamor. 



1 Bendire, Charles, Life Histories of Nerth American Birds, II. pp. 411—412 ; Special 

 Bulletin, U. S. Nat. Mus., 1895. 



