SNAKES AND LIZARDS. 49 



the food — but in May it formed almost 1 percent, occurring- in 33 stom- 

 achs out of 364, or in about 1 stomach out of every 11. The average 

 in the 33 stomachs was 10.5 per cent. In April the remains were found 

 in about one-eighth of the stomachs, but the average quantity was 

 smaller in May, and still less in June. One stomach taken in Decem- 

 ber contained 2 percent of tortoise remains, evidently carrion. 



The following statement from Mr. John M. Richardson, of Dainger- 

 field, Tex., is of interest in this connection, as it was published at a 

 time when the extent of the Crow's depredations on these reptiles was 

 entirely unsuspected by us (Annual Report Dept. Agriculture for 1888, 

 p. 524). Mr. Richardson, who seems to be the only correspondent who 

 has noticed this habit, says : 



"'The Crow is known to catch young terrapins, and there is reason to 

 believe that it destroys other small reptiles. I remember a rock- 

 crowned hill on the east bank of the Wateree, between Manchester and 

 Statesburg, in Sumter County, Ga., that was almost covered with 

 remains of small terrapins and land tortoises carried there and devoured 

 by Crows." 



Snakes and lizards. — Crows eat many snakes, some of which they kill. 

 Mr. B. T. Galloway, chief of the division of vegetable pathology of the 

 Department of Agriculture, details a battle between a Crow and a large 

 snake (at least 3 feet long) which was witnessed near his house at Gar- 

 rett Park, Md., during the summer of 1893. The Crow not only struck 

 the snake repeatedly with his bill, but lifted it from the ground and 

 beat it with its wings, the snake meanwhile writhing, twisting, and 

 attempting to bite its antagonist. The fight lasted half an hour or 

 more, and eventually the snake was killed and partly eaten. A singu- 

 lar feature of this combat was the fact that one Crow did all the fight- 

 ing, although several others watched the struggle from a neighboring 

 fence. The following account of a similar battle appeared in the Orni- 

 thologist and Oologist 1 for February, 1883, and seems to have been 

 written by the editor, Joseph M. Wade: " While riding down through 

 Occum, Conn., on May 26 last (1882) we noticed a Crow on a level gar- 

 den bed killing a snake which was not less than 18 inches long. The 

 snake seemed fully conscious of what was going on and tried to get 

 away, but showed fight every time it was seized. It was interesting 

 to see the Crow bite him, lift him up, and throw him to the ground, 

 keeping one eye on us the while. This went on for some time, the 

 snake getting weaker every bout. The Crow evidently not liking the 

 nearness of myself and carriage, seized the snake within a few inches 

 of its head and flew with it into the large trees beyond the Wequonock 

 River where we could not watch its further operations. The snake 

 hung down its full length while being carried over the river." 



Reports from correspondents in Ontario, Massachusetts, Connecticut, 

 New York, Maryland, Yirginia, Kentucky, Kansas, and Texas show 



i Vol. VIII, No. 2, Feb., 1883, p. 11. 

 3086— No. 6 4 



