File:Our northern and eastern birds - containing descriptions of the birds of the northern and eastern states and British provinces; together with a history of their habits, times of arrival and departure, (14562012508).jpg

Identifier: ournortherneastex00samu (find matches)
Title: Our northern and eastern birds : containing descriptions of the birds of the northern and eastern states and British provinces; together with a history of their habits, times of arrival and departure, their distribution, food, song, time of breeding, and a careful and accurate description of their nests and eggs
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Samuels, Edward A. (Edward Augustus), 1836-1908
Subjects: Birds -- United States
Publisher: New York : R. Worthington
Contributing Library: Claire T. Carney Library, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Digitizing Sponsor: Claire T. Carney Library, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
owing, principally, to the difficulty attending suchinvestigations, — the killing of great numbers of birds inall the seasons when they are found with us, which is abso-lutely necessary, but which is extremely distasteful to mostpersons; and it has been aggravated somewhat by the con-tradictory statements of various persons in different locali-ties regarding the food of some species that they have hadthe means of observing. Of these birds, none have given rise to more controversythan the Corvidce ; and I propose to discuss briefly here thisinteresting topic, and bring a few facts and arguments,founded on reason or actual observation, to show theiractual economical value. Until very recently, I have been the earnest advocate oftliese birds, and have believed that the benefits they rendermuch more than balance the injuries they inflict; but 1must say, that, after careful consideration, my faith in tlieirutility is sadly shaken. At the outset I will say, that I have kept specimens in-
Text Appearing After Image:
Common Crow, Corvus Americanus. Audubon. THE COMMON CROW, 859 captivity; and have, by actual observation, jji-oved tliat atleast eight ounces of such food as frogs, fisli, &c., are eatendaily by our Common Crow. Of course, like other birds, itoan live on a very limited allowance; but I think that theabove is a reasonable amount: however, to be absolutelywithin bounds, we will fix the food of the Crow to be equalto five ounces of animal matter per diem. Beginning, then,witli the new year, we will follow the life of this bird throughall the seasons, and then compare the results arrived attogetlier, good and bad. During the months of January, February, and March,when the face of the country is covered with snow, theinsects being dormant, and the small birds away to moresouthern districts, most of tlie Crows migrate from NewEngland; and the few that remain depend upon a scantysubsistence of seeds of wild plants and weeds, acorns, applesthat have been left on the trees in the orchard,

Note About Images