THE OBOW AXD ITS RELATION TO MAX. 65 



contained fragments of a small eggshell. Another brood of four 

 from the same place apparently had divided a single small passerine 

 bird between them. In two other cases were the remains of appar- 

 ently one bird eaten by all of a brood. The stomach linings of these 

 victims are among the most indigestible parts, even persisting longer 

 than bone fragments, and at times fragments of this sac will consti- 

 tute the only evidence of the deed done. In the stomach of a half- 

 grown crow from Kansas was found the stomach lining of a small 

 bird, intact and filled with food in a condition satisfactory for ex- 

 amination. 



A consideration of the economic problems involved in the eating 

 of wild birds by the crow and the testimony presented by field ob- 

 servers on this point is given on pages 29-36. 



POULTRY AXD THEJR EGGS. 



Poultry and their eggs, occurring in 70 of the 778 stomachs of 

 nestling crows, formed 1.60 per cent of the bulk of the food. In 50 

 of these the remains were of poultry, and in 21. eggs, one stomach 

 containing both. The ratio of 70 out of 778 (about 1 to 11) is greater 

 than that for the adults (about 1 to 21). but this is to be expected in 

 view of the fact that nestling crows are fed extensively on vertebrate 

 food, amphibians, reptiles, and wild birds, all being found more fre- 

 quently in the stomachs of young than in those of adults. Field 

 observations also have established the fact that it is the nestling 

 which is primarily to blame for losses to the poultry raiser, as the 

 extennination of a single offending brood will often put a stop to 

 depredations. The records of such depredations on the part of nest- 

 lings are somewhat reduced by the fact that while 63 young had been 

 fed on such food only 37 broods were involved, indicating that the 

 parent birds frequently passed the especially palatable tidbits to all 

 the family. In one or two cases the adults themselves joined in the 

 feast. 



Each of a brood of three secured in Dallas County. Mo., had been 

 fed on one or more hen's eggs, though in bulk the shell formed only 

 3 per cent of the stomach contents. Three of another brood from 

 Maryland also had their hunger appeased with similar food. Still 

 another lot from the same State were particularly well fed at the 

 expense of some poultry raiser. Each bird had been fed on chicken, 

 which constituted over 40 per cent of six well-filled stomachs. Five 

 half-grown young from Kansas had apparently all fed on a chicken, 

 though accurate identification of the bird remains could not be made 

 in two of the stomachs. Three of another brood of four from the 

 same place also had partaken of similar food, which formed 11 per 

 cent of their diet. Apparently more than one heu : s egg was eaten 

 14653°— 18— Bull. 621 5 



