THE CROW AND ITS RELATION TO MAN. 21 
as many as 91, another 86, while the average for the 12 was over 
57 grasshoppers apiece, about 46 per cent of their food. Two col- 
lected in Kansas in May had fed on 86 and 80 grasshoppers, respec- 
tively, these forming 80 per cent of the food in each case. The 70 
acridians eaten by a crow secured in British Columbia entirely filled 
the stomach except for a mere .trace of an ant and a spider. Twenty- 
eight other stomachs of the series examined contained 20 or more of 
these insects. Orthopterous eggs occurred in several, but in nearly 
every case there was evidence that these came from the bodies of 
females eaten rather than from burrows in the ground. 
Crows apparently have no preference as to the species of grass- 
hoppers eaten, taking whatever comes in their path. The fragile 
nature of the bodies often eliminates the possibility of specific 
identification soon after the insects are swallowed, so the number of 
species recorded from stomach examination is small. Several of 
the most destructive forms, however, have been recognized, notably, 
the red-legged locust (Melanoplus femur-rubrum) , the two-striped 
locust (M. hivittatus) , the lesser migratory locust (M. atlaovis), and 
the large lubber grasshopper (Brachystola magna). 
Crows have long been recognized as persistent hunters of grass- 
hoppers, and in late summer and fall they may be found in small 
squads of a family or two searching grass lands and grain stubble 
for these insects. The peculiar antics of the birds in attempting to 
capture elusive individuals have been noted by many field observers, 
and farmers generally have appreciated the good work the crow does 
at this time of year. 
Gryllid^e (crickets). — Crickets were found in 75 of the 1,340 
stomachs, frequently associated with 'grasshopper remains. Most 
of these were the common black ground crickets of the. genus Gryllus, 
and in a few stomachs they were present in considerable numbers. 
A crow secured in New Jersey in October had eaten 38, together with 
11 grasshoppers, and another secured in Wisconsin in August had 
nearly filled its stomach with 20 crickets and 3 grasshoppers. Only 
two stomachs contained the remains of mole crickets (Gryllotalpa 
borealis), but it is highly probable that a series collected in areas 
where these pests are plentiful would show a larger proportion. 
Locustid^e (katydids, green or long-horned grasshoppers, stone 
crickets, etc.) — Katydids and allied insects occurred in compara- 
tively few stomachs. Over much of the crow's range these are of 
little economic importance, but in the Northwest the crow comes in 
intimate contact with a notorious pest, the western cricket (Anabrus 
simplex). Six stomachs collected at Okanogan Landing, British 
Columbia, in June contained these insects in considerable numbers, 
in several cases to the extent of nine-tenths of the contents. 
