CRQWOLOGY 



BY CLARENCE VANDIVEER 



Thief, robber, pirate, or whatever else you 

 may choose to call him, the crow continues 

 to prosper, in spite of his extreme unpopu- 

 larity. Like the English sparrow, he is here 

 to stay. He may devote much of his time 

 in picking up bugs and worms, but I am in- 

 clined to think that he spends far more time 

 in robbing the farmer's cornfields and hen's 

 nests. I have heard farmers say that they 

 have seen crows carry off one chick after 

 another. I have never seen them do that, 

 but I have seen them carry off many an egg. 

 What fearful havoc they must work in the 

 game fields ! To steal seems to be the one 

 object of their lives, for they will carry away 

 almost any small object that they can get. 

 Charles Hallock tells of a tame crow that 

 was wont to carry off screws, bolts, buttons 

 and other delicacies of that sort. His cache, 

 when discovered, contained about a bushel 

 of miscellaneous bric-a-brac that "any flot- 

 sam-fed goat would have burst with envy to 

 behold." 



Some writers claim that all crows migrate 

 in winter, and that the crows we see in the 

 winter time come from the far north, while 

 others say that the crow migrates only when 

 he feels so disposed. For my part, I prefer 

 the latter theory. At any rate, the dusky 

 robber is driven to desperate straits during 

 the pinching days, when nearly all other 

 birds have migrated and the fields are bare. 



An epidemic occasionally carries off a few 

 of the marauders . in winter, but as a rule 

 they attain a great age. One Christmas a 

 number of years ago my brother and I 

 started out for a walk. There was a deep 

 snow and the woods seemed deserted. 

 Finally, we came upon a flock of crows. 

 They were sitting in some willow trees and 

 did not fly as we approached. Thinking this 

 strange, we began to throw clubs at them, 

 and not until several were knocked down 

 did the rest take wing. They flew slowly 

 and with apparent difficulty. The crows we 

 killed were very poor and seemed to have 

 something the matter with their throats. 



One day, while working in the field, I no- 

 ticed great flocks of crows assembling in a 

 nearby woods, and so I concluded I would 

 go crow hunting. But hunting crows and 

 killing them are two different things. I 

 found plenty of crows, but only killed one. 

 They would assemble in a ravine, offering 



every chance of approach under cover, but 

 just as I was about where I wanted to get, 

 some sentinel I had not seen would give the 

 alarm. But the wariness of the bird makes 

 it sport to hunt him, and I frequently take 

 my .22 Winchester and go in quest of the 

 dusky pirate. 



Last spring I secured a crow's nest and 

 took especial notice of its construction. The 

 outer layers were composed of twigs loosely 

 woven together. Next came a layer of 

 strings, parchment, paper and the leaves of 

 a Sunday school book. The inside of the 

 nest was lined with hair. Although ap- 

 parently religious, this crow must have for- 

 gotten the commandment, "Thou shalt not 

 steal." 



THE "GERVAN" MOTOR CYCLE 



Editor Recreation : 



We are in receipt of two copies from 

 your bureau of information for which 

 beg to thank you. Considering you have 

 been so kind as to put this information before 

 us we trust you will gladly make a correc- 

 tion. The motor cycle termed "German" is 

 in reality known as the "F. N.," manufac- 

 tured in Liege, Belgium, but the patents are 

 German. The Harry Fosdick Compan) r , 

 comprised of Mr. J. A. Dowling and Mr. 

 Harry Fosdick, are the importers, and have 

 the American agency. I take it for granted 

 that you must have something in one of your 

 numbers on this motor cycle, hence these in- 

 quiries. Our address as above will reach us, 

 although the address for myself, care of 

 Bay State Club, will reach me. 



We thank you again for giving this matter 

 such a kindly reception, and I trust you will 

 appreciate our interest in trying to give you 

 correct information. 



We will be glad to correspond with you 

 if you desire any further information on the 

 subject referred to in this letter. 



Harry Fosdick Company, 

 Per Harry Fosdick, 



President. 



THE DRUMMING PARTRIDGE 



Regarding Martin Hunter's letter in your 

 December issue, claiming that he has never 

 seen it necessary to throw sticks at a part- 

 ridge while it was drumming in order to 

 scare it away, will say that while I was up 

 at dawn one morning, fishing on a lake, my 



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