Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-03
THE CROW IN WINTER.
Knowing "Critter" Able to Take Care
of Himself.

While other birds migrate from necessity,
the crow I think, does so from choice. He
either goes or stays as he thinks fit.
Among the intelligences of the feathered
tribe there are but few that can compare
with that of "Corvus americanus." Chap
man says he can talk But II he cannot
talk. he can certainly think. and to some
purpose Were it not so, he would have
been exterminated long ago. for every
mans hand has been against him. To
somber bodeful appearance he adds the
character of a thief. and then his voicet
But really after all, he is not so bad or
undesirable as he Is supposed to be, and
thanks to uuprejudiced men of inquiring
scientific minds his good or useful quail
ties are now coming to be known. But II
is doubtful IL the popular mind will ever
completely overload the aversions and su-
perstitions which the ages have piled up in
regard to him and his family
However, &c. americanus' doesn't care
He will go on living and being tolerably
happy despite our enmity. and there are
certainly no grounds for believing that he
is becoming scareer in the land.
think never saw 50 many crows around
New York l did last spring in F1atlands
during the preparations for sowing. The
fields were literally half black with them.
AS long as the ploughing merely was being
done the attitude of the farmers toward
them was one of friendly Indifference; but
the moment the seed was In the ground war
was declared. But would bet dollar that
not half dozen crows were shot during
the season 1t musts be terribly exaSper-
atjng to farmer to find that when he goes
out unarmed he can approach the maraud-
ers within few yards before they will
stir; but sooner does he appear with
gun than they are up and away. Or, If he
should try and steal on them along fence
an alarmed ''ker-aw. caw! from a well
posted sentinel will sound long before he
gets within shot, and effectually Illustrate
his design
From the spring until the fall sable
friend has an easy life of it, food being
abundant. And do not think he considers
the question of migration till the very last
moment. Then he may decide to go or
stay, as the signs which he knows so well
appear to indicate mild or hard winter.
I have seen it stated that all our crows
g. e., the crows of this latitude) migrate
in the fall, and that those we see in the
depth of winter come from the further
nc rth This may be generally true, but 1t
is not absolutely so, for friend of mine
crow with a white feather In his tau.
which was familiar to him during the sum-
mer, made his appearance several times
during the winter. Git would seem, by the
way that the white feather in this instance
belied its proverbial significance)
Whether. however, the crows we see in
thu depth of winter are our old familiars
of the spring and summer, or strangers
from the north, their work is cut out for
them to keep the wolf from the door For
even in mild winters there are certain to
be more or less prolonged periods of frost
or snow. This is not so bad for little birds
| like the chicadees, who are satisfied with
| few grubs or larvae but for the big. vora-
| cicus birds like the crows II Is a very ser
| ious matter indeed Fortuna tely for them,
however, they have an omnivorous appe-
| tite. A chance potato, or apple dead bird
or rodent fish cast up by the sea, or
anything edible whatever-all is welcome.
Then as foragerS they are unsurpassed
With the first light of dawn they leave
their roost, with a clamorous cawing, and
scatter over the country. All day they ply
their industrious search. You will see them
| In ones. twos, or threes. never In hurry,
but always vigilant, with one eye open, as
| 1t were, for chance provender. and the
| other for some lurking enemy. In very Sc
/ we're weather they will venture into farm
| yards for forage. But warily do they move
about. avoiding especially anything that
looks like a trap. Apropos, your corre-
spondent, Mr. Charles A. Taft. notes that
they would not go near the troughs which
| he erected for the feeding of quail.
Only rarely do come across dead
crow, and then he Is pretty sure to be the
victim OF old age or disease. His normal
age. by the way. is supposed to be near
huEdred) Tough. tough. he is, in sooth.
and the popular saying ITO eat crow" has
a most pointed significance.
When day begins to decline the various
members OF the roost or rookery start for
home. Not as in spring. referred to so
feiieitously by Tennyson in his line, THE
many-wintered crow that leads the clang-
| Ing rookery home" do they fly now but
silently. and, as rule, sngly--or one be-
hind another, at a long distance The
sight of the dark solitary bird winging its
| night over the desoate landscape has an
| erect which must have been dear to the
| superstitious imagination.
The wayfarer does not fly directly to his
accustomed place of rest but alights on
| some point of vantage to reconnoiter pre-
sumably Others do likewise, and when all
are assembled Qf, perchance. all have es-
capped the hazards of the day.. at a given
| signal from some recognized leader they
Will arise circle noisily over the roost and
gradually drop down upon it. For a while
| the cawing is kept up and then funereaI
silence succeeds. Every bird has found his
perch, and, rufiiing his weathers, settles
down to pass the winter night.
There let us leave them, but as we
| sit in our comfortable rooms or lie in our
warm beds let us waste no sympathy on