Distribution of New England Birds. - 
A Beply to Dr. Brewer. H. A. Pv.rdie. 
Corvus ossifragus. Fish Crow. — “ Stratford.” Conn. , Linsley (1. c.). 
<i A n occasional visitor along the southern coast of the State of Massachu- 
setts.” (J. A. Allen, 1. c.) “Very rare visitor in summer” to Massachu- 
setts. (E. A. Samuels, Descriptive Catalogue of the Birds of Mass., in 
Rept. of Sec. Board of Agriculture of Mass, for 1863.) “ A rare summer 
visitor, chiefly along the more southern portions of the coast” of New 
England. (Coues, Proc. Ess. Inst., V, 1868.) “Coast of the United States, 
from New England to Florida.” (Coues, Birds of the Northwest.) And 
now, as confirmatory of the above, Mr. Brewster gives an instance of his 
seeing it in Cambridge, March 16, 1875. (See this Bulletin, Vol. I, p. 19.) 
* Bull. N. O.C. 2, Jan., 1877. p. 
The Fish Crow ( Corvus ossifragus) in Connecticut. — I have the pleas- 
ure of recording a few notes on the Fish Crow in this State. For several 
years I have detected birds of the Crow family along the shore, which, 
from the notes, method of flight, and apparently smaller size almost con- 
vinced me they were Fish Crows, but until this season had no opportunity 
to verify the belief. On the loth of May I killed a fine specimen in an 
extensive tract of swampy woods bordering a salt marsh in Stratford, and 
saw two nth*=»rc fKo <-1- 
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Oou»ral Notes 
Fish Crows ( Corvus ossifragus ) were observed in small numbers early 
in March, having been rare the preceding winter, if present at all. The 
morning of March 26, which was warm and clear, they were very common 
in certain districts, compelling attention by their discordant voices and 
unusual numbers, evidently fresh arrivals for the most part. They were 
particularly noticeable until midsummer when they gradually became 
silent and inactive. Even until May 1 flocks of twenty or thirty were 
occasionally seen; soon after, however, they were reduced to groups of a 
few unmated or barren individuals, and widely dispersed, breeding birds. 
Much more suspicious than the common species, they force themselves 
upon the attention long before the nest is in sight, in most cases in this 
vicinity. April 29, at Fairfield, one sat by a nest eighty feet from the 
ground, and confessed ownership of its young in the latter part of May. 
On May 12 I took a set of four fresh eggs from a nest seventy-five feet 
above the ground. This had been commenced in April, and its com- 
pletion delayed at least two weeks. May 16 I took five nearly fresh eggs 
of the Fish Crow and one of the Robin from a nest near the summit of 
an isolated white pine tree in a recent clearing of hardwood growth. Tall 
timber near by seemed to them less attractive. The female being shot, 
its mate remained sorrowfully calling for several days, when it again 
mated and probably met with better success, as they could be seen there 
till July. A set of five eggs was taken at Mt. Vernon, New York, May 
15, 1888, from a nest fully sixty-five feet from the ground, in low, wet 
woods. They were somewhat common there at that time. 
Auk X, Jan , 1803. p.89. 
