BERRIES AND APPLES. 83 



the proportion in which they enter into the food. In June they form 

 about 1 percent of the food, in July nearly 3 percent. During June 

 and July the majority of stomachs examined contained remains of this 

 fruit, but almost invariably these appeared to be wild berries. In a few 

 instances cultivated berries had been eaten, and reports from several 

 correspondents indicate that in rare instances considerable annoyance 

 and loss may be occasioned by the Crow. 



Blackberries and raspberries are noticeable in the Crow's diet only 

 during July and August, and it is probable that most of the berries 

 eaten are wild. Very few complaints of damage to cultivated black- 

 berries or raspberries have been received, and it is doubtful if the Crows 

 care enough for these fruits to lead them to pillage berry patches near 

 houses. Unquestionable remains of raspberries are not common in the 

 stomachs, and doubtless blackberries are most often eaten. Not only 

 this, but it seems certain that the running blackberries, or dewberries, 

 are most often taken, not because they are better flavored or more 

 abundant, but because they are more accessible. As elsewhere stated, 

 the Crow dislikes very much to alight in thickets, brush, or rank vege- 

 tation of any kind, and ^the high-bush blackberries are therefore almost 

 inaccessible ; they can not be reached from the ground, and the bushes 

 are too slender and yielding to give support to so heavy and clumsy a 

 bird; consequently the Crow contents himself with the low-running 

 kinds or with the few high bush berries which chance to grow along 

 fences or droop near the ground in places easily reached. 



Apples are often eaten by Crows. Eeference is not made here to 

 the well-known habit of eating frozen apples which cling to the trees 

 through the first half of the winter, but to attacks upon ripe or ripen- 

 ing fruit, particularly in August, September, and October. Remains of 

 apples were not found in the stomachs as often as might be expected, 

 but it should be remembered that unless the seeds or skin are swallowed 

 it would be difficult to identify the source of fruit pulp that might be 

 present, and in the case of juicy and tender apples very little pulp would 

 remain undigested after the first half hour. On the other hand, the 

 testimony of eyewitnesses is abundant as to certain specific instances 

 of apple stealing, and in numerous instances seeds and skin were found. 

 Eeference to the table shows that in August nearly 4 percent of the 

 stomach contents consisted of apples, in September about half of 1 per- 

 cent, and in November almost 1 percent. In October no apple was 

 positively identified in the stomachs, but it is noteworthy that more than 

 half of 1 percent of unidentified fruit was found in October stomachs, 

 and doubtless some of this was apple pulp. 



An interesting note by F. C. Browne, of Framingham, Mass., ap- 

 peared in Forest and Stream for August 25, 1880. Mr. Browne says : 

 U A short time ago I happened to notice the almost daily visit of a 

 small party of Crows to a certain tree in my apple orchard, and it 

 occurred to me that the fruit might be the attraction, as it was a large. 



