Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-26


WyZ2M you see those crows flying over
"a VA hesd?" asked the pathological sharp,
n pointing to the heavens.
NN TEE STAR contributor turned his
-" gaze skyward and beheld aock after
flock Of the birds coming from the east and
winging their way across the city Of Wash
ington high in the air.
"They are coming home to bed at their great
roost in Arlington. That is one Of the great
perching places for crows in the country, you
know. Another such is found near Baltimore,
about four miles out from the city, and there
are others still near st. Louis, at Lancaster,
Pa, in Jessamine county, hy. and at Reedy
Island, in the Susquehanna. big one also is
in Nebraska can't quite remember where
and there are more In various parts OF the
country not yet heard from, though all are
within the limits Of a belt 100 miles north and
100 miles south of line that might be drawn
across the continent through Washington and
st. Louis"
CROWS BY MYRrADs.
"How many crows roost at Arlington"
"People usually say millions; but there is q
natural tendency to exaggerate in such matters.
/ should say that there we're fewer than
500, 000-it takes a goodly number OF crows to
make that many. You see it is rather difficult
them while they are flying and il you APP
proach them at night they will be frightened
and leave precipitately. All sorts OF methods
have been tried, even to firing a canton loaded
with bird shot into the roost with view to
picking up the dead within the range of fire
and baslng calculation upon the result. The
Johns Hopkins expert who investigated the
Baltimore roost a while ago determined that
there were between 250.000 ana 500. 900
crows there by counting small measured
hnr fhn int Of utf,,,of n
came in with the guess he had to make at the
number of birds on each tree. Some day pho
tographs will be taken of the roost at Airing
ton at night by flashlights, which would seem
to be the only promising plan. Our great local
crow roost is movable affair to a certain ex-
tent, having altered its position during the last
few years from point to point all the way be-
tween Great Falls and Mount Vernon. Last
year it was situated entirely within the limits
of the National Cemetery. covering an area of
Is acres. When l visited it then the trees over
the whole of that space and the ground be-
meath were whitened with the droppings of
the birds The authorities i'll charge tried to
drive them out, but without the slightest ef-
feet"
HABITS OF THE BIRDS.
'Why do the birds gather in such great
assemblage for roosting?'
That is one thing that nobody has ever been
able to find out. 1t has been suggested that in
some time long ago they had some object in
doing so which no longer exists and that the
habit thus formed has been perpetuated
through the operation of the instinct which is
only vulgar term for inherited experience.
But my own opinion is that this is not the
true reason. At all events. the custom of the
crows is to leave the roost at laybreak or soon
after every morning. Sundays included. and
take fight In focks to all the points of the CON-
pass toward their feeding grounds. which often
are 100 miles distant. Those birds you see
flying overhead are returning from their day.
work along the Chesapeake and its tributaries
which afford admirable forage in winter, the
water continually washing up what they mos,
enjoy-small crabs, shrimps. she'll fish. dead
fishes, and all such things, not to mention
sLUGS AND BUGS AND SOFT CLANS, ETC.
With their stomachs crammed full of delicacief
like these, they are going home to the roost
where they will meet the fiocks returning from
up the Potomac and down the Potomac as well
as from the west and elsewhere. For ali that
any one can tell the focks may take turns IN
visiting this feeding ground and that; but il
would be rather difficult to prove that such
was the owing 10 the very striking likeness
that any one crow bears to every other. Ar
irving near the roosting place about nightfall
they gather about III crowds for prayer meet
ing possibly, before going to bed. / have my
self seen at such time of day as many as
JOG. 900 OH Analostan Island alone Finally, az
if at given signal, they all rise up with a whirI
and 1lock over to the big bare hill mile away
where they fill their stomachs much fuller al
is possible with gravel for purposes of digestion
during sleep. Then they go to perch on the
trees by countless myriads. Often crows viii
reach their perching places exhausted by
their long journeys from the feeding ground.
as to fall upon the ground helpless SO that they
can be easily picked up. But not, under the
most difficult circumstances will they fail tC
undertake the hOmeward trip, though very
likely, as is tho case today, they must trave
under difficulties against a strong head wind.
MIGRATION AND FOOD.
where does the crow belong?"
''All over this country the bird is found save
only in certain arid regions of the southwest
1t has two mlgratIons yearly. going north il
summer and south in winter; but these move
ments are not 50 marked as in the case OF Other
feathered species. | have seen during the win
ter in Patagonia birds that familiar sum
mer residents of New England. Crows, how
ever, have merely general tendency south
and north, those which leave the roost her,
about the middle of April being succeeded by
another batch from the lower tier OF states. Vi
the crow family in this country there are tn,
raven, the common crow. the fish crow, the
| magpie and the jays"
What do crows eat?"
Everything. The crow is one Of the mos
| omnivorous of birds. Like many other winged
| flesh eaters, 1t has convenient power o.
/ through the mouth whatever parts of it have
| not been digested, in tine shape of hard pellets
have at present crow in a big cage, which
L feed with mice sometimes /. the bird is il
haste, through fear hunger. 1t will very
| likely swallow the mouse whole, choking ur
| and ejecting from its beak the bones and hail
| within as short time Is, maybe. two hours. Ii
| crows stomachs have found carbon and re
| mains of mice. snakes. frogs, fish, crabs, clans
| snalls, insects, spiders and one centipede
| They are fond of young terrapin. TOO. / re
| member hill in sumter county. Ca. that
| when / saw II, was almost covered with the
| REMAINS OF SMALL TERRAPINs,
| which had been killed there and been de-
voured by crows. These birds have very
curious way in the spring, before the snow is of
| the ground, of hunting for field mice, of which
| they are extremely fond. The mice builc
| their nests under the snow. and the warmth Of
their bodies and that of the young melts il
| around them. SO that finally there appears a
hole In the snow crust. The crows fly about
| looking for these holes, and when they find one
| they tear out the nest and eat the contents
| They devOur more young chickens than are
| consumed by hawks; but perhaps the most Sc
| rious indictment against them is that they cal
| the young and the eggs Of many birds which
| are themselves devourers of Objectionable in
sects. Hens eggs, too, they will gobble If they
| get chance. Farmers object to them mos
! because they pull up the newborn shoots oil
| corn and other grain and eat the seeds at the
| end, which are soft and moist and palatabie.
| $50 the crow is altogether bad character
| No, that would be doing him an injustice.
| He serves as a scavenger, consuming carrion
| and also he eats many undesirable insects. Il
81 .Latl IL Azw. E.,.1