1886,] Crow Roosts and Roosting Crows. 781 
of thousands.” The Washington crows derive most of their 
food from the immediate vicinity of the Potomac, either on shore 
or from the numerous flats and bars within the river, both north 
and south of the Capital as well as from the eastern branch as 
far up as Bladensburg. 
Thus is formed two distinct morning flights from Arlington, 
the one going southward beyond Alexandria, and the other, 
which attracts most notice from Washingtonians, passing over 
the city toward the east branch. 
This roost has been known to my correspondent since his resi- 
dence in the District of Columbia (fourteen years), but in his 
opinion the crows must have made many changes in their choice 
ofa resting place during the late war on account of the wholesale 
destruction of timber in that vicinity, and former roosting places 
were probably abandoned on all sides during the period of de- 
vastation, 
That similar places to those already mentioned exist shore- 
wise in the States of Maryland and Virginia is not yet proven, 
but we may feel assured from our knowledge of the abundance 
of both Species of crow in these parts, that inquiry will reveal 
their existence. From what we know with certainty, facts tend 
to show that as we go northward, southward or westward of our 
City of Brotherly Love in the winter season, the number of crows 
tapidly diminishes. The Washington roost differs from those 
located further north, in the fact that the fish-crow, Corvus ossi- 
Sragus, resorts thither in common with C. americanus. The pro- 
Portion of fish-crows to the latter is as one to five, and although 
the species do not at other times consort together, there appears 
to be no attempt on the part of either kind to keep aloof from the 
&eneral movements of the body-gregarious during the nightly 
Gathering, but the admixture of the two species is uniform 
throughout the flock and harmony is a law recognized by them 
as it is among the several species of communistic black-birds. _ 
My friend’s experience herein differs decidedly from that of 
both Audubon and Wilson. 
_ The words of the former naturalist have been already quoted," 
and Wilson in his account of the fish-crow mentions particularly 
that they retire to high, interior forests, whereas the commoner 
Species generally roosted along water-courses among the reeds. 
_ *See p. 693, August number. 
