RELATION TO MAMMALS. 



31 



ferent kinds of animal food commonly found in Crows' stomachs and 

 the relative quantities of each : 



Table showing percentages of the different kinds of animal food found in Crows' stomachs, 



arranged by months. 





■ 













00 ,~ 





■_ q 



Month. 















"a - 





53 



January... 



February . 



23 



March 



26 



April 



42 



May 



364 



June 



165 



July 



45 



August . .. 



24 



September 



44 



October . .. 



46 



November. 



18 



December. 



59 



Average 





for year.. 



909 



.2 

 3.5 



2.5 

 2.8 



2.7 



.4 



a s 



.i 



trace. 

 .1 



17.5 trace. .2 3 trace, 



6 trace 4 



1.2 1.1 2 



.4 1.2 5 trace. 3.6 



1.6 .8 1.1 1 2.3 | 3.4 

 1.1 2.4 i .5 .4 trace. 1.4 



.2 2.2 .2 4.2 



.5 trace. .2 



1.6 2 3 



.1 1 trace. 



3.2 8 1.7 .2 



2.7 trace 3 



.1 

 .1 

 1.5 

 1.7 

 .3 

 .1 

 .3 

 .1 



trace. 



trace. 

 . 5 

 .4 



n 



.2 



5.7 



.9 



1.6 



trace 

 .1 



.3 



trace. 



trace, 



trace. 



.1 



.2 



.2 



trace. 



.2 



.1 



1*5 



- = 



2.2 

 3.3 

 5.8 



49.2 

 47.9 

 40.0 

 26.5 

 35.6 

 24.6 

 16.7 

 25.8 

 4.7 



3 23. 



21.5 



10 



19.2 



62 



67 



49 



37.3 



37 



27.1 



18.8 



33. 2 



12.1 



32.9 



For reasons already explained the annual average for each item of 

 food in this table is obtained by averaging the monthly averages. 

 Probably the most striking feature is the great importance of insects 

 and spiders, which not only exceed any other single kind of food in all 

 months except January and February, but the average for the year is 

 more than double the combined averages of all other items. The next 

 largest element is offal or carrion, and then follow successively frogs 

 and toads, mice, Crustacea, wild birds and eggs, rabbits, snakes, fish, 

 poultry and their eggs, and various other materials. 



Before proceeding to take up these separately it should be stated 

 that the item offal or carrion as given in the table is incomplete, since 

 it includes only such as could not be covered by any of the other head- 

 ings. Almost every item doubtless includes some carrion, since it was 

 often impossible to tell whether the animals found in a stomach had 

 been killed by the Crow or were dead when picked up. 



RELATION OF THE CROW TO MA3I3IALS. 



Remains of rabbits are common in Crow stomachs, particularly the 

 common cottontail {Lepus sylvaticus) which must count the Crow one of 

 its deadly enemies. It is not probable that adult rabbits are often 

 attacked, but after the young begin to run about they are frequently 

 pounced upon and carried away. On one occasion the writer saw a 

 tragedy of this kind while driving along a Maryland road in June. A 

 Crow suddenly sailed over the fence and alighted in the road about 



