The Hawkeye Ornithologist and Oologist. 



43 



gunpowder are burned, and millions 



birds seems in no way diminished 



and the aggregate annual loss they 

 occasion is about $2,000,000:" I've 

 only given extracts from the report 

 (a voluminus document) but enough 

 to show how destructive the bird is 

 and from a practical point of view 

 the bobolink — like the Chinese — must 

 go; aesthetic people to the contrary 

 notwithstanding. 



The kingbird may be a warrior un- 

 eonquered with you, but a near rela- 

 tive of his, the scissor-tailed flycatch- 

 er, common here during the summer, 

 can make him "vamoose the ranch" 

 every time. I had proof of this dur- 

 ing '87 when a kingbird tried to 

 build in the same tree in which a 

 pair of scissor-tails had commenced 

 building. The kingbird was whip- 

 ped twice (not satisfied with the first 

 bout probably) in less than an hour. 

 It was a fair fight and no "shenane- 

 gan." J. A. Singlet. 



REMINISCENCES OF THE EAR- 

 LY LIFE OF A TAME CROW. 



Some years ago I came in posses- 

 sion of a young half-feathered crow. 

 I had often heard extravagant stories 

 told of the ability to talk which was, 

 or had been, possessed by certain 

 tame crows, and so resolved to try 

 the experiment. I had had my new 

 pet some fifteen minutes when its bill 

 fliw opsn with a spa^uiolic gasp and 

 an agonized caw informed me that food 

 was required — and that immediately. 

 Suffice it to say that after the first 

 day's experience it would not have 

 taken much to convince me that the 

 government reports concerning the 

 enormous number of insects destroy- 

 ed every year by birds was fully cor- 

 rect in every particular. 



While young he would watch every 

 opportunity to enter the house, with 

 which he made himself perfectly fa- 



miliar. On one occasion he was 

 found solemnly perched on the top 

 of a high silver castor in the center 

 of the table, probably "grace before 

 meat." He seemed to take great de- 

 light in turning over ink bottles, 

 emptying work baskets and hiding 

 the contents under rugs, the edges of 

 the carpet, etc. A sleigh bell afford- 

 ed much amusement, and it was his 

 especial delight to get on a shelf 

 where a box of nails was setting and 

 drop them, one by one, for the sake 

 of hearing them jingle as they struck 

 the floor. But as he grew older and 

 able to fly he gradually acquired the 

 sagacity common to all crows and 

 could no more be induced to enter 

 the house. 



When fully able to care for himself 

 he made frequent visits to various 

 neighbors in the town, and afforded 

 much amusement for the children, 

 whom he always hated indiscrimi- 

 nately owing to their practice of 

 of plagueing him. Occasionally he 

 would come over to the high school 

 building and attract considerable at- 

 tention by rapping on the windows. 

 While making his tour one day, one 

 of these kind old gentlemen employ- 

 ed in guarding a few raspberries 

 from the robins and bluebirds, shot 

 him, breaking his wing. Since then 

 he remained at home and instinctive- 

 ly recognizes a gun at sight, making 

 a great ado whenever one is shown 

 him. 



When a few weeks old a friend tried 

 scratching his head one day and was 

 much surprised at his apparent satis- 

 faction. He wouldbend his head for- 

 ward and close his eyes, apparently 

 sinking into a dose. We soon learned 

 to sidle up to one and holding his 

 head down, would indicate by a low 

 "aw" what he wished. Though 

 still allowing old acquaintances to 

 scratch his head, he never shuts his 

 eyes during the operation. 



