. [Collected reprints, 1895-1916. Birds. 18 Farmers' Bulletin 630. The crow is practically omnivorous. During spring and early summer any form of Insect life seems to make a desirable item in its diet, and in winter when hard pressed nothing in the animal or vegetable kingdoms which contains a morsel of nutriment is overlooked. The insect food of the crow, which comprises about a fifth of its yearly sustenance, does much to atone for its misdemeanors. Grasshoppers, May beetles and their larva; (white grubs), caterpillars, weevils, and wireworms stand out prominently. In 1,340 stomachs of adult
. [Collected reprints, 1895-1916. Birds. 18 Farmers' Bulletin 630. The crow is practically omnivorous. During spring and early summer any form of Insect life seems to make a desirable item in its diet, and in winter when hard pressed nothing in the animal or vegetable kingdoms which contains a morsel of nutriment is overlooked. The insect food of the crow, which comprises about a fifth of its yearly sustenance, does much to atone for its misdemeanors. Grasshoppers, May beetles and their larva; (white grubs), caterpillars, weevils, and wireworms stand out prominently. In 1,340 stomachs of adults examined these highly in- jurious forms comprised over 80 per cent of the insect food. Grasshoppers are naturally taken in greatest abundance late in the season, September being the month of largest consumption, when they form about a fifth of the total food. May beetles and white grubs are eaten in every month, but occur most prominently in May. In June caterpillars are a favorite food, and weevils of various kinds are taken in varying quantities throughout summer and fall. About half of the remaining 20 per cent of insect food is composed of beneficial ground beetles, ladybirds, predacious bugs, and parasitic wasps, and related forms, the rest consisting, of neutral or injurious forms. Numerous instances are on record where fields badly infested with white grubs or grasshoppers have been favorite resorts of crows, whose voracity has resulted in a material suppression of the pest. When the amount of food required to sustain the individual crow is considered, the work of these birds appears all the more important. Single stomachs con- taining upward of 50 grasshop- pers are not uncommon. Thus in its choice of insect food the crow is rendering an important service to the farmer. In the other animal food of the crow are several items of the utmost economic importance. Spiders are taken in consider- able numbers in May and June, but the yearly total Is a little over 1 per cent o
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