THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 9 



Ornithologically, aside from all economic considerations of good 

 or harm arising from the gathering of immense numbers of crows, a 

 winter crow roost must be regarded as one of the most wonderful 

 of bird phenomena still existing in close proximity to large cities. 

 In many instances the lines of flight pass daily over metropolitan 

 districts during the winter months, yet only an extremely small pro- 

 portion of the people realize their significance. In the immediate 

 vicinity of the roosts the gathering of thousands of birds seldom fails 

 to incite the latent instincts, so frequently present behind the shotgun, 

 to kill for the mere sake of killing, regardless of whether the birds 

 may be doing good or harm. The easy pot shot at hundreds of closely 

 perched birds is a chance that few gunners seem able to resist. But 

 the fact that these birds have maintained this interesting habit, even 

 in the face of constant persecution over a period of many years, bids 

 fair to insure its continuance as long as crows remain abundant. 



Economically, the roosting habit is of considerable importance, 

 inasmuch as it results in the gathering of thousands of individuals of 

 a species possessing some harmful traits. Fortunately, the clans do 

 not assemble for the purpose of feeding, but even as it is, large 

 numbers of crows often forage together on comparatively small 

 areas in the vicinity of roosts. Harm is then almost sure to be done 

 to crops still in the field. 



INFORMATION FROM CORRESPONDENTS. 



While the examination of stomachs affords the most accurate 

 means of determining the various food items that enter into a bird's 

 diet, it frequently fails to give information on certain points essential 

 to a complete consideration of the economic status of a species. This 

 is especially true in the case of the crow. It is impossible in many 

 instances to state with certainty whether the remains of a chicken, 

 wild bird, or small mammal found in a stomach are indicative of the 

 predacious activities of the crow, or of its carrion- feeding habits. 

 Neither is it possible to determine accurately what proportion of 

 corn eaten has been stolen from the shock, " pulled" when sprouting, 

 or picked up as waste grain. Financial losses to individual farmers, 

 the efficiency of measures of crop protection and efforts toward the 

 reduction of the number of these birds when found troublesome, and 

 the perplexing complications sometimes arising about game farms 

 and preserves are other important problems which can not be solved 

 in the laboratory. 



Fully cognizant of the shortcomings of a method of investigation 

 depending entirely on stomach examination, the writer has relied to a 



