THE COMMON CROW OF THE UNITED STATES. 



By Walter B. Barrows. 



CHAPTER I. 



GENERAL HABITS OF THE CROW. 



GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. 



The Common Crow is generally distributed from the southern border 

 of the United States north to about latitude 63°. It is abundant in 

 the well-watered regions of the East, but in the West it is rare or local 

 in the arid country, which comprises most parts of the Great Plains, 

 the Great Basin, and the deserts of the Southwest from Texas to Cali- 

 fornia. In southern Florida the Common Crow differs slightly from 

 the northern bird, and is known as the Florida Crow. Four other 

 crows and ravens are found in the United States. Along the Atlan- 

 tic Coast from Long Island southward the small Fish Crow (Corvus 

 ossifragus) occurs with the Common Crow, while on the Pacific Coast 

 from Washington northward the Northwest Crow ( Corvus caurinus) is 

 found. The Raven (Corvus corax sinuatus) inhabits various parts of 

 the United States. The White-necked Raven (Corvus cryptoleucus) is 

 common locally in Arizona, Few Mexico, and some other parts of the 

 Southwest. 



MIGRATION. 



The fact that Crows are regularly migratory has been generally 

 overlooked, chiefly because in most localities in the United States 

 where Crows breed they are represented in winter by at least a few 

 individuals. Even in Manitoba some may always be found in mid- 

 winter, and the same is true in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and 

 the entire northern tier of States. The great bulk of the species 

 regularly moves southward in the fall and northward in the spring, 

 the migration being as prompt- and methodical as that of any other 

 bird. It is probable, however, that few, if any, individuals migrate 

 more than 500, or at most 1,000, miles. Crows as a rule get their food 

 from the ground, and in journeying southward their principal object 

 seems to be to reach a place where the snow does not cover the surface 



