THE BAY STATE OOLOGIST. 



Nesting of the Fish Crow, 



BY C. S. SHICK, SEA ISLE CITY, N. J. 



The Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) arrives in southern New Jersey about the 

 15th of March (although I have seen them before that date). Soon after their ar- 

 rival they commence to mate and repair their old nests, (I say repair their old 

 nests) which they invariably do when they have not been torn or blown down. 



Early in April they commence to lay, and are done laying by April 12th. The 

 eggs are of a dark green, ground color; thickly spotted and blotched with brown 

 and olive; four to six in number. The largest set I ever found was a set of six; 

 they were found on Peck's Beach on April 15th, 1884. They measured 1.68x1.20; 

 1.67x1.19; 1.67x1.18; 2.67x1.19 ; 1.69x1.19; 1.69x1.20. The eggs in the above set 

 were slightly incubated, but not enough so to interfere with blowing them. 



After laving a full set of eggs, the old birds take turns in setting on them, and 

 after twelve or fifteen days the young break the shell. The young birds occupy 

 the nest from fifteen to eighteen days, The inhabitants of this county (Cape May) 

 give the Fish Crow four or five different names, among them being. Oyster Crow, 

 Mussel Crow, Little Raven and Island Crow. 



The Fish Crow, feeds on mussels, small fish, sand crabs, and when the Clapper 

 Rail is nesting it feeds on Clapper's eggs, of which it destroys a good number. 



The Fish Crow builds its nest in dense growths of cedar; the materials used 

 are roots, sticks and grass; lined with grass and the bark of cedar trees. In a few 

 months the Crows will be laying; I will then give the readers of the Bay State 

 Oologist a little article on the first trip after them. 



Mr. C. S. Shick, writing at a later dale, states that he paid the Great 

 Horned Owls a visit Feb. 25th, and was successful in securing one set of two eggs. 



He thinks he was a little too late in the season to find any number of sets of 

 eggs, as a friend of his has found several nests containing young birds. 



This is the first record of finds for '88 published by us. 



Ed. 



