Clarke’s Nutcracker 295 
Habits—The Western Crow appears to be a less wary 
and suspicious bird than its eastern cousin, probably 
because it has had less contact with man. Its food 
consists chiefly of insects, slugs and grubs in the summer, 
but in the fall and winter grain and seeds, especially 
corn, are eaten in large quantities, and its benefit or 
harmfulness from the farmers’ point of view seems to 
be about evenly balanced. In the east the Crow 
associates during the fall and winter in enormous flocks, 
which roost together in special woods, generally near 
a stream, but I have not heard of such roosts in Colorado. 
The Western Crow generally builds its nest in cotton- 
wood trees along the valleys of streams. Dille has found 
many nests in the neighbourhood of the South Platte, 
near Greeley ; the date for a full set of eggs is April 27th 
to May 8th ; the eggs are five or six in number, and are 
greenish in colour, with irregular spots and blotches 
of brown or grey; they average 1°63 x 1°15. 
Genus NUCIFRAGA. 
Birds of moderate size, wing less than 8-0, with a rather long and 
slender bill; the culmen rounded not ridged; nostrils rather basally 
placed, and completely concealed by short, stiff plumes; wings long 
and pointed, nearly reaching the tip of the tail when closed, and 
considerably exceeding it in length; tail slightly rounded. Plumage 
grey, black and white. 
This genus is confined to the northern and mountainous regions 
of Europe, Asia and North America. Four species are generally 
recognized ; only one of these is found in America. 
Clarke’s Nutcracker. Nucifraga columbiana. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 491—Colorado Records—Aiken 72, p. 203; 
Trippe 74, p. 209; Henshaw 75, p. 328; Scott 79, p. 94; Drew 81, 
p. 139; 85, p. 16; Goss 83, p. 44; 89, p. 123; Stone 84, p. 20; 
Batchelder 84, p. 16; Morrison 88, p. 107; 89, p. 147; Bendire 89, 
p- 226; 90, p. 92; 95, p. 418; Lowe 94, p. 269; McGregor 97, p. 38; 
Cooke 97, pp. 92, 163, 210; Henderson 03, p. 236; 09, p. 234; Gilman 
07,p. 155; Warren 08, p. 22; Rockwell 08, p. 168. 
