BIRDS OF NEW YORK 215 



the ground, usually above 30 feet. It is a bulky affair, with a large founda- 

 tion of sticks, twigs, cornstalks or other similar materials, and a well-formed 

 central cup of the soft inner bark of dead trees, vegetable fibers, or grasses 

 and cow's hair. Typical nests in western New York are lined with the 

 bark of grapevines and Arbor vitae or the inner bark of the basswood. 

 It is deeply hollowed, so that the bird can scarcely be seen from the ground 

 except the tip of her tail projecting over the edge of the nest. The eggs 

 are 3 to 5 in number, frequently as many as 7, the ground color varying 

 from a- pale bluish green to olive green, rather thickly spotted and blotched 

 with brown and gray. They average 1.7 by 1.18 inches in dimensions. 

 The period of incubation is about 17 or 18 days, and the young remain in 

 the nest about 3 weeks. The habits of the Crow are too well known to 

 require extended comment, with the possible exception of its tendency to- 

 gather in roosts during the winter months. There are situated in New York 

 State, on Staten Island, on Long Island, in the Hudson valley and in the 

 lowlands of western New York perhaps one dozen to two dozen large crow 

 roosts. It has been practically impossible to obtain reliable information 

 as to the different roosts. In the vicinity of the author's home there has- 

 been for 15 years a large roost just west of the city of Rochester, usually 

 in the town of Gates, and also an immense roost in the vicinity of Niagara 

 Falls, a large roost in Ontario county, and another in Tompkins county 

 near the head of Cajniga lake. I have several times visited the Gates, 

 crow roost and as nearly as I could estimate the numbers congregated 

 were between 20,000 and 40,000. During the day they are accustomed 

 to spread over the country about the lower Genesee valley as far north 

 as Scottsville and sometimes to Geneseo and along the shores of Lake 

 Ontario and Irondequoit bay. The Ontario crow roost was formerly just- 

 north of the village of Canandaigua. It has been moved several times, 

 within the last 12 years. Eleven years ago it was at Paddlefords Station 

 in a small patch of second growth deciduous timber. The number of 

 crows was estimated at 20,000 (see Eaton, Auk 20, 57-59)- The fol- 

 lowing year it moved several miles to the eastward and for 5 years at least 



