THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 53 



From Orlando, Fla., comes information contributed by D. J-. 

 Nicholson that " crows at times do immense damage to the oranges. 

 This occurs in the winter when they congregate in bands of 50 to 

 100." (1911.) 



Injury to these various crops is not so serious or extensive as that 

 inflicted upon corn and other grain. Nevertheless damage is liable 

 to occur at most unexpected times and upon crops difficult to protect. 

 Such raids are most frequently made by a number of birds upon 

 single exposed fields or orchards, and result in heavy losses to indi- 

 vidual farmers. From their particularly annoying nature, . these 

 activities should be charged against the crow in a consideration of 

 his economic worth, even though the aggregate damage throughout 

 the country may not be great. 



WILD FEUITS. 



Under primeval conditions wild fruits doubtless formed over half 

 the annual food of the crow. But the advent of man with his intro*- 

 duction of corn so greatly altered the relative availability of this 

 natural food supply that at present it constitutes less than 14 per 

 cent (13.96) of the bird's yearly sustenance. May is the month of 

 least consumption, when it formed only 3.49 per cent of the food. 

 From this point a gradual increase was noted until September, when 

 over a fourth (25.82 per cent) of the bird's food was secured from 

 natural sources. October was also well represented (20.50 per cent), 

 but in November and December considerably less was eaten (12.94 

 and 14.75, respectively). In January and February apparently the 

 diminution in the available supply of corn again compels the crow 

 to resort to wild fruit. In each of these months it totaled nearly 

 a fifth of the food (19.76 and 19.57 per cent, respectively). The 

 reduction recorded in March (10.65) and April (5.06) is due to an 

 increased supply of animal food which becomes available with the 

 advent of warmer weather. Of the 1,340 adult crows examined 

 576 had fed on wild fruits. 



Stomach analysis reveals the fact that mast, from a variety of 

 sources, but mainly acorns and chestnuts, furnishes the main supply 

 of vegetable food secured from natural sources. Such food was 

 recorded in 293 stomachs. Various sumacs, both poisonous and non- 

 poisonous, are especially favorite items and constitute an important 

 part of the crow's limited rations late in winter, when the supply of 

 many other wild fruits has been exhausted. Seeds of nonpoisonous 

 sumacs were found in 246 stomachs. Among these, those of smooth 

 and dwarf sumac {Rhus glabra and R. copallina) seemed most popu- 

 lar. Poison ivy {Rhus radicans) occurred in 66 stomachs and 

 poison oak {Rhus vernix) in 18. The consumption of the latter two 

 noxious plants involves the crow rather unfavorably in the problem 



