74 
common occurrence to find where foxes have caught and 
eaten partridges, both on snow and bare ground.” (Her- 
bert A. Bent, Franklin, Norfolk County.) u Have never 
yet seen a section of country where foxes and partridges 
were plentiful at the same time.” (H. R. Packard, Attle- 
borough, Bristol County.) “Have seen feathers of birds 
around his burrow. Where the fox lives, the game disap- 
pears.” (A. C. Southworth, Lakeville, Plymouth County.) 
This evidence, like the rest, is largely circumstantial (and 
in some cases the fox may have found the birds dead or 
wounded), but it seems sufficient to prejudice the case of 
the fox somewhat, and leads to the belief that in some lo- 
calities we may have too many foxes. The fox is well able 
to take care of itself. Nearly all its natural enemies have 
been extirpated, and it must be kept within bounds, or it 
may become a pest. Under ordinary conditions, however, 
there are fox hunters and trappers enough to hold the fox 
in check. 
The Common Crow. — The crow is now regarded by so 
many people as a useful and much-maligned bird, that it 
may not be out of place to present here some of the evi- 
dence against it. I have already given to this Board some 
of my experience with the crow, concerning its destructive- 
ness to birds, 1 and will only say here that I have repeat- 
edly observed crows in the act of destroying the eggs and 
young of other birds ; they are so addicted to nest-rohbing 
that it is a wonder that any young of the smaller birds can 
be reared where crows are numerous, and my experience 
indicates that in some cases very few actually are reared in 
such localities. Since, in view of my own experience, I 
may be considered as prejudiced against the bird, I will 
quote mainly from new evidence secured in this inquiry. 
It will be impossible to present here more than a small part 
of the evidence received, giving it in the words of the wit- 
nesses, to avoid any possible distortion. 
In a letter written by Mr. Ingalls, in 1896, he says: “I 
have seen the nests of many birds of several species, from 
1 Report of Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, 1896, “ The Crow in Massa- 
chusetts,” p. 285; see also ibid., 1902, p. 147. 
