THE CROW AND ITS RELATION" TO MAN. 21 



as many as 91, another 86, while the average for the 12 was over 

 57 grasshoppers apiece, about 16 per cent of their food. Two col- 

 lected in Kansas in May had fed on 86 and 80 grasshoppers, respec- 

 tively, these forming 80 per cent of the food in each case. The TO 

 acridians eaten by a crow secured in British Columbia entirely filled 

 the stomach except for a mere .trace of an ant and a spider. Twenty- 

 eight other stomachs of the series examined contained 20 or more of 

 these insects. Orthopterous eggs occurred in several, but in nearly 

 every case there was evidence that these came from the bodies of 

 females eaten rather than from burrows in the ground. 



Crows apparently have no preference as to the species of grass- 

 hoppers eaten, taking whatever comes in their path. The fragile 

 nature of the bodies often eliminates the possibility of specific 

 identification soon after the insects are swallowed, so the number of 

 species recorded from stomach examination is small. Several of 

 the most destructive forms, however, have been recognized, notably, 

 the red-legged locust {Melanoplus femur-rubrum) , the two-striped 

 locust (M. Mvittatus) , the lesser migratory locust (M. atlcmis), and 

 the large lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna). 



Crows have long been recognized as persistent hunters of grass- 

 hoppers, and in late summer and fall they may be found in small 

 squads of a family or two searching grass lands and grain stubble 

 for these insects. The peculiar antics of the birds in attempting to 

 capture elusive individuals have been noted by many field observers, 

 and farmers generally have appreciated the good work the crow does 

 at this time of year. 



Gryllid^ (crickets). — Crickets were found in 75 of the 1,310 

 stomachs, frequently associated with grasshopper remains. Most 

 of these were the common black ground crickets of the.genus Gryllus, 

 and in a few stomachs they were present in considerable numbers. 

 A crow secured in New Jersey in October had eaten 38, together with 

 11 grasshoppers, and another secured in Wisconsin in August had 

 nearly filled its stomach with 20 crickets and 3 grasshoppers. Only 

 two stomachs contained the remains of mole crickets (Gryllotalpa 

 borealis), but it is highly probable that a series collected in areas 

 where these pests are plentiful would show a larger proportion. 



Locustid^ (katydids, green or long-horned grasshoppers, stone 

 crickets, etc.) — Katydids and allied insects occurred in compara- 

 tively few stomachs. Over much of the crow's range these are of 

 little economic importance, but in the Northwest the crow comes in 

 intimate contact with a notorious pest, the western cricket {Anabrus 

 simplex). Six stomachs collected at Okanogan Landing, British 

 Columbia, in June contained these insects in considerable numbers, 

 in several cases to the extent of nine-tenths of the contents. 



