52 THE COMMON CROW. 



11, contained their remains, and in June the proportion was about 1 in 



12. In some cases the remains of as many as a dozen salamanders were 

 found in a single stomach, but usually fragments of but one or two 

 occurred, and the ratio seldom exceeded 10 percent, the average for 

 52 stomachs being less than half this amount — 4.8 i>ercent. 



The habits of these salamanders are but imperfectly known, but they 

 are supposed to feed mainly on animal substances, in part insects. 

 Their economic importance is insignificant. 



DESTRUCTION OF FISH. 



Parts of fish of various kinds were taken from 46 of the 909 Crow 

 stomachs examined, and the average amount in these 46 stomachs was 

 about 6 percent. The average percent of fish in the year's food was 

 less than half of 1 percent, and in only two months, March and April, 

 did it exceed 1 percent. Most of the fragments found were unques- 

 tionably parts of dead fish, and therefore, so far as present purposes 

 are concerned, might be merged with carrion or offal, although sufficient 

 evidence is at hand to show that at least some Crows are able to catch 

 fish for themselves. The first record of this habit, so far as we are 

 aware, was published by Dr. Edgar A. Mearns in 1880. 1 The note 

 relates to Highland Falls, K Y., and is as follows: " Crows are expert 

 fishers. In winter they watch at the fissures in the ice alongshore at 

 low tide, and claw out whatever fishes are passing. I have known two 

 Crows to capture upward of 20 good-sized goldfish (Crassius auratus) 

 in less than an hour's time." 



The following observation by Mr. L. I. Flower, of Clifton, New Bruns- 

 wick, was published 3 by Montague Chamberlain in 1884. u A few years 

 since, while crossing the Washadermock Lake, I noticed a Crow flying 

 close to the surface at a spot where the water is very shoal. Suddenly, 

 when but a short distance from my boat, the Crow thrust his claw 

 down into the water and drew to the surface what I afterwards dis- 

 covered was a fish of about half a pound weight, and then seizing it with 

 his bill, by aid of 6 tooth and nail' succeeded in drawing it out of the 

 water and carrying it to an adjacent rock, the fish all the while strug- 

 gling hard to get free. 



DESTRUCTION OF CRUSTACEANS. 



Crustaceans are prominent in the food of Crows at all seasons, stand- 

 ing fifth on the list showing relative percentages of the animal food of 

 the year. The annual average amounts to nearly 1 percent (0.95 per 

 cent). Out of the 909 stomachs examined, 137 contained remains of 

 Crustacea, and in all but 14 cases these were crawfish. In January the 

 only remains were those of i sow bugs,' or l pill bugs' (Oniscus), which 

 occurred in four stomachs. These are terrestial crustaceans abundant 



' Bull. Essex Inst., Vol. XII, 1880, p. 109. 

 2 The Auk, Vol. I, 1884, p. 391. 



