Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1919-01-23
BILL.
Our Neighbors In Black

covered a Corvus brachyrhyncus in MS
garden, pulling up the newly sprout-
ed corn, the crow has been hated ana
hunted bv farmers. Wherever men
nIant grain he is looked upon as
creature OF low morals and reprehen-
sible character, to be pursued relent-
lessly in life, and after death to be
hanged in chains, like murderers OF
old. as a warning to others OF his kind.
And vet as is often the case with human
outcasts, there is gooi in him, so that
he has his champions as we'll as his
enemies, nor are thev diffi9ent in their
praise.
Because those two irreconcilaole
opinions have been maintained so long
and defended so ardently, the govern
ment determined to make, through the
Bureau of Biological Survey, a careful
investigation OF the life and character
of the crow. The work is now COM
pleted and the result is before US, In q
bulletin OF the Department OF Agri-
culture.
M other North American bird oners
so many difficulties in tile way ci ioou
study as the crow. His larder is the
whole continent, from the mouth OF 'he
Mackenzie River and the Province OF
Quebec to Texas and Florida, and as
far west as Wyoming, Mon. I'M aho
osr,ra, Nebraska, and his diet is as
varied as the climate and the SeaSo'S'
Sly hundred and ffty-six articles APP
near of two thirds vegetable food ana
one third animal Just half his diet is
corn The other vegetable part OF II
is made up of other grain, little cuti.
vated fruit, a considerable quantity OF
wild fruit and small amounts OF weea
seeds and rubbish.
The one third of his Diet that is
animal matter consists OF May oeeties'
grasshoppers, ground beetles, eaterpil,
lars. miscellaneous insects, earrion ana
"other animal matter" .
II would be easy to conclude that'
since at least one half OF the crows
diet consists Of corn and other grain,
he is an enemy to the farmer ratherthan
a helper, bat that conclusion would be
illogical; for although the quantity OF
grain that he eats may be much great
er than the quantity Of noxious insects
that he destroys, the worth Of the grain
NAV be less than the value OF immunity
from the insect pests. II is to DC OBJ
served, too, that the months in which
he eats the most corn are not the
months when the newly sprouted KERN
els have just pushed their green shoots
through the ground, but October, No
vember, December, January, February
and March. In other words, It IS rot
new but old corn that he eats.
The impartial jury Of men Of science,
after having made an examination OF
the contents OF the stomachs OF more
than two thousands crows, seem 10 have
reached the old verdict Of mot guiltr.
but don't do II again. They find that
the accused does good as we'll as harm
and that the one just about counter
balances the other. N their opinion il
would be a mistake to pass laws that
would result in exterminating him, and
equally mischievods to protect him.
He is not so black as he IS painted, but
he is also no saint Th. safest course
seems therefore to be that which most
communities pursue: to let the small
boys rifle and the farmers gun deal
with him whenever ne can be caught
rSgrante delicto, AMI for the rest to
get what amuseTert " can ffom his
canny wisdom. bis bilious temper and
his sardonic humor