THE OOLOGIST 



119 



stuff and start off for some good place 

 to eat it and following close behind 

 would be another, not so lucky but de- 

 termined to get a meal somehow. 

 When close enough to the tail a firm 

 hold would be secured with the bill 

 end then the brakes applied. The first 

 Gull drops the tid-bit, shakes her tail 

 a few times then turns and wings 

 back to try luck over again while the 

 thief neatly scoops up the prize and 

 makes for a secluded spot to enjoy it. 

 Roscoe I. Giles. 



Notes on the Eggs and Food of the 

 American Crow. 



During the breeding season of 1915, 

 on a farm of sixty acres at Carman- 

 town, Passaic County, N.Y.,the writer 

 spent the greater portion of the period 

 between April 10th and June 30th in 

 intensive work on the bird residents 

 of the section. 



In all, there were ten families of 

 Crows reared on this farm during this 

 period and ample opportunities and 

 possibilities were afforded which per- 

 mitted the writer to form, at least, a 

 few definite conclusions. In addition 

 to the parents of the broods which 

 were reared, about seventy-five of this 

 species, all of which were nesting 

 within a radius of a mile, visited this 

 tract almost daily and fed in some 

 portion thereof. 



The farm was so divided that three 

 fields of corn were necessary in order 

 to raise it in paying quantities and 

 these were one ten acre tract at the 

 southeastern corner; another tract of 

 eight acres at the northwestern corn- 

 er and a third tract of twelve acres 

 along the sounthern boundary about 

 eight hundred feet from the first tract. 



On the 10th of April the first plow- 

 ing for corn was made on the south- 

 eastern tract. This tract had been 

 heavily limed and fertilized prior to 

 plowing. The grain was sown in this 



lot about April 25th because of the 

 extremely early season prevalent this 

 year. The young corn began showing 

 through the earth about May 8th. On 

 the 10th the entire assemblage of 

 Crows began attacking this and con- 

 tinued to do so until the second field 

 was plowed and then a portion of them 

 assembled at this field. 



On the 8th of May the tract at the 

 northwestern boundary was plowed 

 and about an average of twenty-five 

 for ten days foraged over this and 

 gathered a large percentage of the 

 vertebrates, invertebrates and the lep- 

 idoptera found in the food of the 

 young. The grain was tarred in this 

 case and planted on the 13th and 14th. 

 After planting a few of the Crows re- 

 mained here but they had entirely de- 

 serted the field by the time the young 

 corn began showing through on the 

 22d. The birds gave this field a wide 

 berth and it was quite evident that 

 the tar had its desired effect on them 

 and their inroads. 



On the 10th and 11th of May the 

 third and last tract was plowed and 

 was planted on the 15th and 16th. 

 The Crows visited this field daily in 

 large numbers prior to the planting 

 and after the young corn began to 

 show through, their inroads were 

 about equal to that in the case of the 

 first tract. Prior to planting a goodly 

 portion of the vertebrates, invertibrates 

 and insectivorous food was gathered 

 here. Considerable lime and fertilizer 

 was used on this field, but in the case 

 of the second field, only fertilizer was 

 applied. 



The first nest with eggs was dis- 

 covered in a cellar near the first tract 

 of corn, about twelve feet from the 

 ground and contained on the date of 

 discovery, April 16th, four eggs uni- 

 form in color and size. These four 

 were rreenish white and heavily 

 marked with brown and lavender and 



