No. 2.] Reprints ind Miscellaneous Notes. 85 



submitted by Dr. C. Hart Merriam to the Division of Entomology, 

 was intrusted to me by Dr. C. V. Riley, then United States Entomo- 

 logist. Owing to the large bulk represented by the majority of the 

 stomach contents, and more especially to the comminuted condition 

 of the insect remains, the work of examining and determining was 

 much more tedious and progressed much slower than was anticipated. 

 In the often-times difficult determination of minute fragments 

 I have been greatly assisted by the other members of the Division of 

 Entomology, and more especially by Messrs. William H. Ashmead 

 and Theo. Pergande. 



A detailed list of the contents of each stomach has been prepared, 

 enumerating systematically the various species of insects found and 

 giving the number of specimens. This list forms the basis of the 

 following generalizations regarding the food habits of Corvus ameri- 

 canus so far as the insects are concerned: — 



I. The insect food of Crows is almost exclusively composed of 

 terrestrial species, i.e.^ such as are found on the surface of the 

 ground, or hide during the day time at the base of plants or under 

 the various objects lying on the surface, or such as live in the dung 

 of domestic animals, in decaying vegetable and animal matter, or 

 underground. 



There is not the slightest indication that Crows catch any insects 

 while on the wing, and the almost complete absence of the numerous 

 arboreal insects of all orders, i.e., such insects as are to be found on 

 or which live on the trunks, limbs, or leaves of trees and shrubs, indi- 

 cates that the birds when setting or resting on trees do not pick up 

 insects. 



The almost constant presence of coprophagous insects in the 

 stomachs indicates that Crows preferably frequent dry pasture lands, 

 dry meadows, or very open woods, where cattle or horses are graz- 

 ing. In many instances the presence of certain species of Chlsenius, 

 water beetles, or an occasional aquatic Hemipter or a Gryllotalpa, 

 or Corydalus, etc., shows that the birds frequent the margins of ponds 

 or streams, while in a number of other instances the presence of the 

 larvae of Lachnosterna, Elateridae, etc., proves that the Crows have 

 followed the plough of the farmer. Many of the terrestrial insects 

 eaten by Crows abound during the warmer season in cultivated fields 

 more especially in corn and clover fields, and have no doubt been 

 picked up by the birds in such localities, 



2. The insect food of the Crow consists only of large or medium- 

 ized insects ; small species are only rarely, if ever, picked up. The 

 smallest insects found are certain species of Aphodius. Ants form 



