Crows 257 



the crows were after insects, rather than com. One 

 morning I happened along just after he had shot two 

 crows in the cornfield, and his remark to me was 

 something hke this: "There are two of your innocent, 

 insect-eating birds, but they'll never pull any more 

 com for me. " 



"Well," I rephed, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe 

 that they pulled very much of your corn." 



The farmer quite warmly remarked: "I sat by the 

 fence and watched them, and what I see with my 

 own eyes is enough for me." 



I obtained from him permission to dissect the; 

 crows, and in the stomach of one I found the unmis- 

 takable remains of a field mouse, several cutworms, 

 remains of various insects, a httle vegetable food, 

 and one kernel of com. The other stomach con- 

 tained several cutworms, remaing of other insects, 

 traces of vegetable matter, but no corn. The farmer 

 had agreed to beUeve his eyes, but now he was almost 

 wiUing to doubt them. 



On the ground throughout the field were plenty of 

 withered stalks of corn an inch and a half to three 

 inches in length; this the farmer believed to be the 

 work of crows, but it was the work of cutworms, as I 

 clearly proved to him upon visiting the field; and 

 in ten days the whole field of corn was nearly njihed 



