Bird Biographies

								

replanting was more extensive than usual--46 per cent. of the 3½ bushels
originally planted. This unusual ratio was probably caused by the
failure of the cherry crop, which left the crow short of food."
Dr. Judd told of the "protective devices of tarring corn," which did not
prevent the crows from pulling up the grain in large quantities, though
they did not eat it. He continued:
"The injury to corn at other seasons than sprouting time is, as a
general thing, comparatively insignificant, but in some years it has
been important when the ears were in the milk. They then tear open the
ears, and pick out the kernels in rapid succession. In the National
Zoölogical Park at Washington during the summer of 1896, their
depredations on an acre of corn were watched, and 50 per cent. of the
crop was found to have been ruined.
"The only scarecrows that proved effective at Marshall Hall were dead
crows, and strings stretched on poles around the field and hung with
long white streamers. Although in fall the number of marauders is
greatly increased by reënforcements from the North, ripe corn sustains
less injury from crows than roasting ears. One reason is the abundance
of fall fruit.
"Wheat suffers comparatively little. When it is ripening, cherries and
sprouting corn divert the crow's attention. After it is cut and gathered
into the shock, however, they often join the English sparrows in
removing the kernels. Oats are injured even less than wheat, though
crows have been noticed feeding on them at harvest time."
While the crow is considered the arch-criminal of the bird-world, Dr.
Judd ascribed to him a good habit--that of the dissemination of wild
seeds in an unusual manner. He wrote: "In November, 1899, a large flock
on the wing was noticed in the distance, at a point opposite Fort
Washington, several miles above Marshall Hall. They came on down the
river in a line that at times stretched almost from one bank to the
other. They circled several times and alighted on the shore. The flock
numbered at least a thousand, and hoarse caws and croaks gave evidence
that it was made up to some extent of fish crows.
"After the birds had remained on shore about fifteen minutes, they were
put to flight by a farmer's boy and flew on down the river. Going to the
place where they had alighted, I found the sandy beach cut up for more
than a hundred yards with their tracks. Many led out to the water, and
floating black feathers here and there showed where baths had been
taken.
"The most interesting trace of their sojourn, however, was several
hundred pellets of fruit material, which they had ejected through their
mouths and dropped on the ground. These pellets were about an inch in
length and half an inch in diameter. They were of a deep purplish color,
due to the fruit of woodbine, wild grape, and pokeberry, of which they
were mainly composed. In 50 pellets collected there were only 11 seeds
of other plants--namely, holly, bitter-sweet, and poison ivy. Pokeberry