The Crow ( Corvus frugivorus ) as a Fisherman. — I am courteously 
permitted by Mr. L. I. Flower of Clifton, N. B., to publish the following 
note of an interesting incident which came under his observation. 
“A few years since, while crossing the Washademock Lake, I noticed a 
Crow flying dose to the surface at a spot where the water is very shoal. 
Suddenly, when but a short distance from my boat, the Crow thrust his 
claw down into the water and drew to the surface what I afterward discov- 
ered was a fish of about half a pound weight, and then seizing it with his 
bill, by aid of ‘tooth and nail’ succeeded in drawing it out of the water 
and carrying it to an adjacent rock, the fish all the while struggling hard 
to get free.” — Montague Chamberlain, St. John. N. B. 
Auk, I, Oct., 1884. p. 39 / - 
Carnivorous Propensities of the Crow ( Corvus americamis). — My 
neighbor, Mr. E. M. Davis, indulges in the luxury of live pets, and 
amongst them is a Crow, reared by hand from the nest and now perhaps 
three or four months old. He manifests the usual inquisitive and mis- 
chievous habits of the species in confinement, secreting various objects for 
which he can have no possible use, and worrying on all occasions both 
the cat and the dog of the premises, by picking at their toes, pulling their 
tails, etc. He seems to fear nothing but a small rubber hose used for 
sprinkling purposes, upon the first appearance of which, even before any 
water was thrown, he manifested the utmost fright, and fled to the house 
and his master for protection ; this he Ijas repeated whenever the hose ap- 
pears. Query: Is it a case of hereditary fear of snakes? Quite recently 
a young House Sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) , not fully fledged, was cap- 
tured and taken into the happy family, pains being taken to keep it away 
from the cat , but not from the Crow, which, at its first introduction, 
pounced upon it savagely, seized it by the neck, shook it as a terrier does 
a rat, and before it could be released the Sparrow had gone the way of all 
birds; portions of it being eaten by its destroyer. As the Crow had been 
well fed, on a diet embracing meat, grain, and vegetables, the killing of 
the Sparrow would seem to have been the outcome of natural propensities 
rather than the result of the pangs of hunger. — F. W. Langdon, Cincin- 
nati , Ohio . 
Auk, 3. Oct. , 1886. p. y 86 . 
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Food of Crows in Winter. 
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neighboring tree cawing lustily. On May 
20th I examined the nests a third time, 
finding them again without eggs, while 
fresh shells were strewn on the ground. 
The Herons were now shy and restless, 
whereas the Crows, for whom I entertained 
a strong aversion, were more audacious 
and clamorous than ever. A subsequent 
and final visit revealed conditions un- 
changed, the Crows as officious as ever, so 
that, it being very late in the season, I was 
satisfied that no young birds were reared 
last year. I fear the Herons will remove 
to some other breeding ground the coming 
Spring, a proceeding which I should very 
much regret. — A. G . Van Aken, New 
Brunswick, N. J. 
Before me lie the contents of the crop of a Com- 
mon Crow, ( Corvus americanus,) shot while the 
ground was yet frozen as he returned from feeding 
grounds down the river to a rookery (?) some two 
miles above here. The product is largely vegetable 
showing husks of grains of Indiana corn. Evi- 
dences of dainty piscatorial food are found in small 
ampliiccelus vertebrae. Evidences of other verte- 
brate food are found in bones. I am not yet able to 
classify a fragment of a small humerus or femur. 
Are the records of the winter food of this bird suf 
licient to make him a living bill of fare? — Theo. 
Q. Lemmon , Westport, Mo. 
O.&o. XI. Apr. 1886 . p. ff. 
70 
