106 Contributions from the Charleston Museum. 



economic relations of this well-known bird. Although the Crow 

 undoubtedly destroys innumerable grubs and mammals which 

 depredate upon the agriculturist and is a " beneficial ' ' species at 

 certain seasons, yet it is the most destructive of all birds to agri- 

 cultural interests. On the coast it is unwise to plant corn unless 

 tarred, as the birds will pull it up as soon as it sprouts. 



If corn is not "turned down" in the autumn, little will be left 

 to harvest. I know of a farmer who lost his entire corn crop of 

 many acres by these marauders, who left nothing but the stalks. 

 He was compelled to leave his farm for a couple of days, and as the 

 corn was not ready to be "turned down," the Crows made short 

 work of it, especially as they knew that the farm was uninhabited. 

 Nearly all crops need to be constantly guarded to prevent these 

 birds, as well as the Boat-tailed Grackle (Megaquiscalus major), 

 from eating the seed when planted. The Crow destroys innum- 

 erable eggs of the Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans waynei) as well 

 as eggs of the salt and freshwater terrapins. 



The birds mate early in February and nest-building is com- 

 menced about the middle of the same month. The nest is gener- 

 ally built in the tops of the tallest pines, though sometimes it is 

 placed in the fork of a live oak and within twenty-five feet of the 

 ground. It is constructed of sticks, which the birds carry in their 

 bills for miles, and is lined with moss, pine needles, and bark 

 strippings. The eggs are usually four in number, and are bluish 

 green, thickly spotted and blotched with brown. They measure 

 1.65X1.15. I have taken eggs, containing very large embryos, 

 as early as March 25, and two broods are raised each season. 



184. Corvus ossifragus Wils. Fish Crow. 



The Fish Crow is also a permanent resident, and breeds in small 

 colonies as well as in isolated pairs along the entire coast . Although 

 Audubon states 1 that "in East Florida, where they abound, I 

 found them breeding in February, in South Carolina about the 

 20th of March, and in New Jersey a month later, ' ' he was certainly 

 mistaken as far as South Carolina is concerned, for this species 

 invariably breeds in May, as the following records will show: 

 May 11, 1884, four eggs with small embryos; May 6, 1886, two 

 fresh eggs (set incomplete); May 19, 1897, four slightly incubated 

 eggs; May 23, 1898, four eggs far advanced towards hatching; 



1 Birds of America, IV, 95. 



