10 BULLETIN 621, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



considerable extent on the field observations of reputable orni- 

 thologists and the testimony of reliable farmers, game raisers, sports- 

 men, and others who have had intimate experience with the crow. 

 For the purpose of securing such information a circular letter, 

 including the following questions on various phases of the economic 

 value of this bird, was prepared : 



(1) Are there any crow roosts in your vicinity where the birds congregate 

 in large numbers during the winter months? If so, describe them briefly, 

 noting the approximate number of birds, acreage of the roosts, and character- 

 istic vegetation. 



(2) Is the crow numerous in your vicinity during spring and summer? 



(3) Does it inflict serious damage upon corn, either when sprouting or when 

 in the shock, and does it appear to be as troublesome in your locality as it was 

 15 years ago? 



(4) Do farmers in your locality resort to the practice of tarring seed corn? 

 If so, how successfully has it protected the crop? 



(5) Do crows destroy much poultry and many eggs, and does the habit 

 appear to be confined to a few individuals, or is it a more or less characteristic 

 trait of all crows in your vicinity? 



(6) To what extent can the reduction in numbers of our game birds, such 

 as grouse and quail, and many smaller insectivorous species, be attributed to 

 the crow? 



(7) Has there been a bounty system on crows in force in your vicinity in 

 recent years? If so, has it noticeably reduced the numbers of this bird? 



Nearly 3,000 copies were mailed, the bulk on December 21, 1911. 

 Since then numerous additional circulars have been distributed. Re- 

 plies to the number of 909 were received, and much of the information 

 thus obtained has been incorporated in this bulletin. 



FOOD HABITS. 



What the crow eats or does not eat is the first question to be 

 answered in an inquiry into its economic status. To determine with 

 accuracy the various food items entering into the diet, experience 

 has shown no method more reliable than the microscopic examination 

 of stomach contents, carefully conducted with the aid of extensive 

 reference collections for comparison. Such a method of investiga- 

 tion, supplemented when necessary by field observation, was em- 

 ployed in the preparation of this bulletin. 1 The 2,118 stomachs ex- 

 amined were collected in 39 States, the District of Columbia, and 

 several Canadian Provinces. Of these, 1,340 were of adults and 

 778 of nestlings. Table I shows the distribution of this material, 

 the stomachs being classified under adults, nestlings, and the State 

 and month in which collected. 



1 For a list of items specifically or generically identified in the stomachs examined for 

 this report, see pages SG to 00. 



