THE CROW A^D ITS RELATION" TO MAN". 27 



In feeding on the larger mollusks, which it frequently secures, the 

 crow displays an interesting method of obtaining the mussels from 

 their hard, protecting shell. This is explained in an article on the 

 habits of the herring gull, by George H. Mackay, 1 in which the writer 

 claims that crows as well as the gulls possess this habit. He says : 



I cite as an instance of their ingenuity that in winter I have seen them carry 

 up in their bills to a height of 25 to 35 feet into the air a large sea clam 

 Mactra solidissima Gould), measuring 6§ inches by 4J, for the purpose of 

 breaking the shell (that they might avail themselves of the contents for 

 food) by dropping it on the hard beach. I have seen them carry up the 

 same clam four times when it failed to break on account of insufficient height ; 

 but they will carry them up higher after several ineffectual attempts- and thus 

 obtain the desired results; they also carry up scallops (Pecten concentricus) 

 and mussels (Modiola modiolus) * * *. That they usually succeed seems 

 certain, for I have seen them eating them, and have noticed the broken shells, 

 minus the contents, lying on the beach surrounded by their tracks. They vary 

 this mode of proceeding in some places by carrying and dropping the clams 

 on a cake of ice, or on a rock. 



A. B. Klugh, of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, has writ- 

 ten that on the coast of New Brunswick the American crow some- 

 times feeds on sea urchins (Stro-ngylocentrotus droebcwMensis) , 

 carrying them off to the woods to eat. 



Fish remains were found in stomachs collected in every month of 

 the year, though in bulk they formed little over half of 1 per cent 

 (0.56), and there is no question that most of this should be classed 

 as carrion. As much of it was eaten in winter, however, when few 

 carrion insects are about, little evidence was available as to the char- 

 acter of this food. The crow's worth as a scavenger of dead fish is 

 mentioned under the heading "Carrion" (p. 40). Crows at times 

 capture small fish in shallow water, but this work is never carried 

 to an extent seriously injurious to the supply of food or game fishes. 

 Stomach analysis shows that among those which might be so cap- 

 tured are shiners (Notropis) , hornyheads (Hybopsis), carp (Cypri- 

 nus), and fallfishes {Semotilus) . 



In feeding on live fish the crow displays in a moderate degree the 

 skill of the kingfisher. In this connection Charles Hallock has 

 written : 2 



Almost daily, in front of my residence on the Neuse River (Newbern, N. C), 

 I see the crows hovering and circling over the surface of the water looking for 

 fish, very much after the manner of the sea gulls. They will swoop down and 

 scoop their little prey deftly very often without breaking the surface. 



!Auk, IX, p. 222, July, 1892. 



s Forest and Stream, XXXVIII, p. 320, April 7, 1892. 



