THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 
43 
Kegarding the winter feeding habits of these birds in the vicinity 
of Geneva, N. Y., Prof. E. H. Eaton, of Hobart College, reports that 
in the winter of 1911-12 there were hundreds of dead ducks on the 
ice of Seneca Lake, which was frozen for the fourth time in its 
history. These attracted considerable flights of crows. The crows 
fed also on the garbage which was carried from the city of Geneva 
in various directions to the north and northeast, and they followed 
the line of the Seneca Eiver, evidently attracted by dead fish, craw- 
fish, frogs, and other creatures which they were able to pick up along 
the margin. 
Slaughter houses, fish and lobster canneries, and the mouths of 
sewers are favorite rendezvous of crows. Here these birds are 
assured an ample supply of food even in severe weather. Under 
such conditions their presence is highly desirable. 
Vegetable Food. 
Examination of stomachs has shown that the crow is largely a 
vegetarian. Vegetable food formed 71.86 per cent of the annual 
diet of the adult crows available for this investigation. In only 
one month, May, did it constitute less than half the total, in which 
case 47.56 per cent was recorded. In the months following, a uni- 
form increase was noted. June was represented by 53.02 per cent; 
July by 55.72 ; August, 60.60 ; September, 67.68 ; and October, 85.71. 
In November a decrease occurred (81.26), but in the winter months, 
December, January, and February, very large quantities again were 
eaten, represented by the percentages of 86.82, 85.06, and 89.03, re- 
spectively, the last being the largest quantity recorded for any month. 
The vegetable portion decreased rapidly in March (83.95) and April 
(65.91). Figure 2, on page 42, represents diagrammatically the 
variations in the vegetable as well as the animal food eaten in the 
different months. 
Table II. — Monthly percentages of the principal food items of the adult crow. 
Kind of food. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May. June. 
July. 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Av- 
erage 
May beetles, etc 
0.18 
1.19 
1.04 
4.98 
20.79 
10.06 
4.47 
5.26 
0.91 
0.54 
0.77 
1.17 
4.28 
Ground beetles 
. .07 
.10 
.26 
2.30 
5.54 
3.24 
2.13 
1.76 
2.31 
.14 
.74 
.19 
1.56 
Grasshoppers 
Caterpillars 
.51 
1.14 
.56 
1.84 
4.29 
5.83 
14.04 
19.14 
19.24 
8.68 
10.73 
2.07 
7.34 
.18 
.41 
1.36 
1.13 
2.71 
6.41 
1.95 
.62 
2.12 
1.19 
.30 
.39 
1.56 
Miscellaneous insects 
.35 
2.01 
1.36 
4.47 
6.44 
10.41 
11.26 
8.29 
3.06 
.96 
1.62 
.67 
4.23 
Carrion 
8.95 
2.45 
2.66 
5.24 
2.13 
1.48 
.29 
.95 
2.69 
.32 
1.44 
2.37 
2.58 
Other miscellaneous 
animal matter 
4.70 
3.67 
8.81 
14.13 
10.56 
9.55 
10.14 
3.38 
1.99 
2.46 
3.14 
6.32 
6.57 
Corn 
51.95 
43.19 
36.85 
35.28 
33.26 
20.53 
9.13 
17.96 
29.60 
54.33 
63.93 
65.00 
38.42 
Other grain 
7.00 
9.74 
34.22 
20.90 
8.43 
10.20 
20.22 
22.80 
8.33 
7.08 
2.67 
.89 
12.70 
Cultivated fruit 
2.55 
3.42 
.26 
2.74 
.91 
14.12 
9.31 
5.79 
1.66 
2.40 
.07 
1.36 
3.74 
Wild fruit 
19.76 
19.57 
10.65 
5.06 
3.49 
7.28 
14.05 
13.67 
25.82 
20.50 
12.94 
14.75 
13.96 
Weed seeds and rub- 
bish 
3.80 
13.11 
1.97 
1.93 
1.45 
.89 
3.01 
.38 
2.27 
1.40 
1.65 
4.82 
3.06 
