~ _ seem to have a definite object—either for toilet or gastrono 
782 Crow Roosts and Roosting Crows. (September, 
Shall we infer from this that the relations existing between our 
two eastern crows have so materially altered in the last eighty 
years, or shall we consider that the two great pioneers of Amer- 
ican ornithology were not well informed ? 
Possibly the “misery” of nineteenth-century -crows “loves 
company,” which eighteenth-century crows were too aristocratic 
to keep. 
With rare exceptions, such places as are referred to by the 
afore-mentioned authors as the usual roosts of Corvus americanus 
in former times are nowadays unfrequented. Is it possible that 
the extensive roosts of Central New Jersey were not so used a 
hundred years ago? At present the majority of roosting crows 
do fly far into the interior to pass the night, though it cannot be 
denied that preference is nearly always shown to the vicinity of 
some water-course. 
It is possible that neither Audubon or Wilson had knowledge 
from personal observation of any roosting place of C. americanus 
far enough south to include the winter range of C. ossifragus. 
A visit to one of the numerous roosts of New Jersey would 
repay any one interested in nature and reward the curiosity of the 
most casual observer. 
The course adopted in assembling to and departing from the 
chosen spot is uniform everywhere. About an hour before sun- 
set stragglers begin to appear, reconnoitering as it were to see 
that the coast is clear, and returning whence they came as if to 
inform the main body of the result. In the course of half an 
hour the flocks begin to arrive in broken lines and detachments 
from all quarters, and, if the evening be calm, their earthward 
descent from a height of many hundred feet exhibits aérial poe 
surpassing in daring elegance those of any other land bird with 
which I am acquainted. 
It is their invariable custom to descend to some spot in = 
neighborhood from one-half to a quarter mile from the roost, 
preliminary to assembling there for the night’s repose. This 
may be either upon the adjoining fields or on woodland tracts 
near by. Such preliminary gatherings, as Godman eerie 
purposes—a time, also, if we may judge by their clamọf, : 
= general conversation, some rejoicing, some repining 17 ee 
~ Varied experience of the last twelve hours. 
TIT EMR AT RESIS eS A ea oN EER Ee eae ae eS A 
