314 
R. I. Agl. Expt. Sta. Rept., 1908. 
than a half-mile from the Experiment Station in Kingston. Dr. 
Leighton’s plant is not a great way from a large piece of woodland 
in which crows are abundant. His experience this year was as 
follows: 
He was troubled most seriously from about April 1 to July 10- 
This is just the season during which the crows are raising their 
young and the young are learning to forage for themselves. Dr. 
Leighton estimates that during this period he lost, from the depre¬ 
dations of the crows alone, in the neighborhood of 100 chickens, 
which was about 25 per cent of those hatched and not lost from 
other causes. All sizes were taken, from the time they were just 
hatched until they were a pound in weight. The larger chicks the 
crows killed and ate where they caught them, but the smaller ones 
they carried away in their beaks. Various efforts were made to 
keep the crows away, most of which were ineffectual. The first 
was a scarecrow, but this had little or no effect. In the second 
place corn soaked in strychnin solution was scattered on a field of 
planted corn at a little distance from the chicken yard. This may 
have killed some crows, but no dead ones were found. No corn 
was pulled, but there was no appreciable decrease in the number of 
chickens taken. Third, a steel trap was set on a pole near the chicken 
yard, but without success. Fourth, white twine was run on stakes 
around and across the chicken yard; this kept the crows from the 
yard, but the small chicks would get out, and would then still fall 
a prey to the crows. Finally, a crow was shot and hung on a pole 
near the chicken yard, after which there was no further trouble. 
It is Dr. Leighton’s opinion that stealing chickens is a common 
habit of crows in this State. He has been troubled before, but 
never so seriously. 
The other instance of serious losses this season, to which reference 
has already been made, occurred near Cumberland Hill, in the 
northern part of the State. This was on the farm of Mr. E. E. 
Church, who was attempting to raise ducks on a suitable pond not 
a great distance from his house. The first lot hatched consisted of 
