78 THE COMMON CROW. 



WHEAT. 



Wheat occurred in 43 stomachs out of the 909 examined. The aver- 

 age quantity in the 43 stomachs was 32 percent, although the average 

 for the year was only 2.63 percent. The largest amount was eaten in 

 July, when it occurred in 10 stomachs, or in about 1 stomach in 4J, and 

 the average quantity for the month was 8.33 percent, thus approaching 

 corn in importance. In August, 1 stomach in every 6 contained wheat, 

 and the average for the month was 9.05 percent, slightly in excess of 

 that for July. These two months, however, are the harvest months for 

 wheat, and although the amount eaten at this season is naturally greater 

 than at any other time, it does not follow that much harm is done, since 

 the birds probably get very little grain except what has been shaken 

 out during harvest. It is safe to assume that nine-tenths of all the 

 wheat eaten by Crows is waste, the consumption of which is no loss 

 whatever to the farmer. Stomachs taken in January contained only 

 about 2 percent of wheat, and those in October not quite 3 percent. 



Some observers say that Crows pull sprouting wheat in the fall as 

 well as in the spring; but the damage thus done must be trifling, for 

 very few complaints have been received. 



OATS. 



Oats occurred in 45 stomachs out of 909. The average quantity for 

 the 45 stomachs is 30 percent, although the average for the year is 2.42 

 percent. Crows damage oats very slightly, since, as in the case of 

 wheat, the grain eaten is for the most part w^aste. There is no increase 

 in the quantity taken during harvest, and singularly enough the largest 

 consumption of oats, as shown by the tables, is during the month of 

 March, when the average reaches 7.88 percent. The next highest 

 average is for August (3.75 percent), when 1 stomach in every 8 con- 

 tained oats. The averages for February, April, June, and July range 

 from 2 to 3 percent, and during the remainder of the year the amounts 

 were less. The source of most of this grain is undoubtedly 'road 

 pickings.' In other words, the supply is almost entirely derived from 

 the droppings of horses and cattle. This fact,, suspected long ago, 

 receives ample confirmation from the presence in Crow stomachs of 

 large quantities of coprophagous or dung-eating insects, and anyone 

 who has carefully watched Crows in the fields knows with what regu- 

 larity they avail themselves of this source of supply. 



Barley was not found except in the month of June, and occurred in 

 two stomachs, in each of which it formed 80 percent of the contents, 

 giving an average for that month of about 1 percent of the food, 



