36 THE COMMON CROW. 



UNIDENTIFIED MAMMALS. 



Twelve Grow stomachs contained small quantities of fragments of 

 small mammals which it was impossible to identify. These aggregated 

 for the year only about one-twentieth of 1 percent (0.055 percent), at 

 least half of which should be classed as carrion, so that the total is 

 insignificant. 



ATTACKS ON SHEEP AND SWINE. 



It is well known that birds of prey are on the alert to discover sickly, 

 wounded, or disabled animals. The Grow possesses this trait to a 

 considerable degree, and although it does not often attack large ani- 

 mals until they are in a dying condition, there is reason to believe that 

 it does so sometimes. Several correspondents state that it is guilty of 

 these practices. Nevertheless, our efforts to secure authentic details 

 of such, cases have been unsuccessful except in a single instance. Mr. 

 George A. Coleman, of London, Nebr., says that he was an eyewitness 

 to a Grow's attack on a large live hog during a severe storm in the 

 winter of 1881-82, when the corn was covered with snow and the Crows 

 could not get at it. He did not see the first attack on the animal, but 

 when he first saw the Grow on the hog's back it was tearing at a hole 

 already 2 or 3 inches deep. The hog, a fat, heavy animal, was making 

 strong but unsuccessful efforts to rid himself of his assailant. Hogs 

 belonging to other farmers in the vicinity were reported to suffer in a 

 similar manner, all, however, during the same winter and at about the 

 same time. 



A fair example of the newspaper reports on this subject is the follow- 

 ing, recently clipped from the Kansas Live Stock Record : 



"The ravenous Crows have destroyed two fine litters of pigs for me, 

 picking them to death; and on Mr. A. J. Alexander's farm in Kentucky 

 they have been feeding on his pigs, biting off their tails, ears, and even 

 picking their eyes out." 



In 1886 Mr. John S. Caulkins, of Thornville, Mich., wrote the Depart- 

 ment as follows : U A grave accusation is made against Grows by some 

 old farmers, who say they have known them to peck out the eyes of 

 young lambs. I am inclined to think that in any such cases it would 

 be found on investigation that the lamb was dead or dying before it 

 was attacked by the Grows." 



Prof. F. S. Place, of Alfred Genter, N". Y., also wrote about the same 

 time that Grows in his vicinity had been known to pick out the eyes of 

 very young lambs. 



RELATION OF THE CROW TO OTHER BIRDS. 



Two serious charges are made against the Grow as regards its rela- 

 tion to other birds, namely, that it destroys the eggs and young of 

 domesticated fowls, and is even more destructive to those of wild birds. 



