THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 



43 



Eegarding the winter feeding habits of these birds in the vicinity 

 of Geneva, N. Y., Prof. E. H. Eaton, of Hobart College, reports that 

 in the winter of 1911-12 there were hundreds of dead ducks on the 

 ice of Seneca Lake, which, was frozen for the fourth time in its 

 history. These attracted considerable flights of crows. The crows 

 fed also on the garbage which was carried from the city of Geneva 

 in various directions to the north and northeast, and they followed 

 the line of the Seneca River, evidently attracted by dead fish, craw- 

 fish, frogs, and other creatures which they were able to pick up along 

 the margin. 



Slaughter houses, fish and lobster canneries, and the mouths of 

 sewers are favorite rendezvous of crows. Here these birds are 

 assured an ample supply of food even in severe weather. Under 

 such conditions their presence is highly desirable. 



Vegetable Food. 



Examination of stomachs has shown that the crow is largely a 

 vegetarian. Vegetable food formed 71.86 per cent of the annual 

 diet of the adult crows available for this investigation. In only 

 one month, May, did it constitute less than half the total, in which 

 case 47.56 per cent was recorded. In the months following, a uni- 

 form increase was noted. June was represented by 53.02 per cent; 

 July by 55.72 ; August, 60.60 ; September, 67.68 ; and October, 85.71. 

 In November a decrease occurred (81.26), but in the winter months, 

 December, January, and February, very large quantities again were 

 eaten, represented by the percentages of 86.82, 85.06, and 89.03, re- 

 spectively, the last being the largest quantity recorded for any month. 

 The vegetable portion decreased rapidly in March (83.95) and April 

 (65.91). Figure 2, on page 42, represents diagrammatically the 

 variations in the vegetable as well as the animal food eaten in the 

 different months. 



Table II. — Monthly percentages of the principal food items of the adult croic. 



Kind of food. 



Jan. Feb. 



Mar, 



Apr. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dee. 



Av- 

 erage 



May beetles, etc 



Ground beetles ...... 



Grasshoppers 



Caterpillars 



Miscellaneous insects 



Carrion 



Other miscellaneous 

 animal matter 



Corn 



Other grain 



Cultivated fruit 



Wild fruit 



Weed seeds and rub- 

 bish 



0.18 

 .07 

 .51 

 .18 

 .35 



8.95 



4.70 

 51.95 

 7.00 

 2.55 

 19.76 



1.19 

 .10 



1.14 



.41 



2.01 



2.45 



3.67 



43. 19 

 9.74 

 3.42 



19.57 



13.11 



1.04 

 .26 

 .56 

 1.36 

 1.36 

 2.66 



8.81 

 36.85 

 34.22 

 .26 

 10.65 



1.97 



4.98 

 2.30 

 1.84 

 1.13 

 4.47 

 5.24 



20. 79 

 5.54 

 4.29 

 2.71 

 6.44 

 2.13 



14.13 10.56 

 35.28 33.26 



20.90 

 2.74 

 5.06 



1.93 



8.43 



.91 



3.49 



1.45 



10.06 

 3.24 

 5.83 

 6.41 



10.41 

 1.48 



9.55 



20. 53 

 10.20 

 14.12 



7.28 



4.47 

 2.13 



14.04 

 1.95 



11.26 

 .29 



10.14 

 9.13 



20.22 

 9.31 



14.05 



3.01 



5.26 



1.76 



19.14 



.62 



8.29 

 .95 



3.38 



17.96 

 22.80 

 5.79 

 13.67 



0.91 

 2.31 

 19.24 

 2.12 

 3.06 

 2.69 



1.99 



29.60 

 8.33 

 1.66 



25.82 



0.54 

 .14 

 8.68 

 1.19 

 .96 

 .32 



2.46 



54.33 



7.08 



2.40 



20.50 



0.77 



.74 



10.73 



.30 



1.62 



1.44 



3.14 



63.93 



2.67 



.07 



12.94 



1.17 

 .19 



2.07 

 .39 

 .67 



2.37 



6.32 



65.00 



.89 



1.36 

 14.75 



4.28 

 1.56 

 7.34 

 1.56 

 4.23 

 2.58 



6.57 

 38.42 

 12.70 



3.74 

 13.96 



38 2.27 1.40 1.65 4.82 3.06 



