62 THE COMMON CROW. 



LarvaB of Laclmosterna (white grubs) were, contrary to expectation, 

 met with in a comparatively small number of stomachs (about 20 in all, 

 including a few where determination is doubtful), all of which were 

 collected in the District of Columbia and adjacent parts of Maryland 

 during the months of April and May. If a larger number of stomachs 

 from other localities could have been examined it is possible that white 

 grubs would play a more important role in the food habits of the Crow. 

 The absence of Laclmosterna larvae in all stomachs collected during 

 the fall plowing season is easily explained by the great abundance of 

 grasshoppers at this season. The few Scarabseid larvae found in stom- 

 achs collected in the fall all belong to coprophagous species. 



5. Ground spiders (Lycosida?). — The only soft-bodied insects that 

 occur in a very large number of stomachs from all localities and through- 

 out the warmer seasons are various species of Lycosid spiders, which 

 are so commonly met with on the ground in pastures and near water. 

 The larger female specimens, carrying their egg sacs, appear more 

 especially to form an attractive morsel to the Crows. The spiders are 

 often represented in considerable numbers in the stomachs, occasion- 

 ally forming the greater bulk of the insect food. Spiders of other 

 families were but rarely met with in the stomachs, and never in large 

 numbers. 



6. Weevils (Rhynchophora). — Two species of weevils, JEpiccerus imbri- 

 catus and Phytonomus punctatus, both often referred to in economic 

 entomology, occur abundantly in a large number of stomachs. They 

 would play a very prominent role in the food supply of the Crow 

 but for the fact that this habit is locally restricted on account of the 

 distribution of the two species. Upiecerus imbricatus does not extend 

 into the Northern and Northwestern States, and the clover weevil (Phy- 

 tonomus punctatus) is a comparatively recent importation from Europe, 

 occurring from New York to Virginia and gradually spreading into the 

 Northwestern States. 1 Both species are terrestrial during the day 

 and hide in the ground at the base of plants. Other weevils possess- 

 ing similar habits are not infrequently found in the stomachs, more 

 especially various species of Sphenophorus (bill bugs, of economic im- 

 portance), and in less numbers Tanymecus confertus, species of Sitones, 

 Macrops, etc. Various other nonterrestrial weevils occur only occa- 

 sionally, the most abundant among them being Lixus eoncavus. 



7. Cutivorms (larvae of Noctuidce). — Considering the enormous num- 

 ber of cutworms that occur, especially in the spring and the earlier part 

 of summer, in j>astures, dry meadows, and open fields, and considering 

 further that cutworms hide during the day at the base of plants, under 

 leaves, sticks, clods of soil, etc., in short, in just such places as are pref- 

 erably investigated by Crows in search of food, it is remarkable that 



1 It was never noted in Michigan prior to 1892, and it is interesting to find that 

 there is a specimen in one of the stomachs (No. 15884) from that State, collected on 

 May 8, 1892. 



