27G NATURAL HISTORY. 



the cockchafier, and the tipulas or dacldy-long-legs, both of 

 which are exceedingly injurious to the crops, more than com- 

 pensates for the damage it sometimes causes, by pulling up 

 young corn, or newly set potato cuttings ; in. the latter case 

 more, I believe, to get at the wireworms, which crowd to the 

 slices of potato, than to eat the vegetable itself. In the fruit 

 season, the Rook, like most other birds, likes to have his 

 share of the cherries, pears, and walnuts, but may be easily 

 kept away by the occasional sight of a gun. 



Towards evening the Rooks may be seen flying in long 

 lines to their resting-place " The blackening train of crows 

 to their repose." They then perform sundry evolutions in 

 the air, and finally settle to rest. 



Round the base of the Rook's beak is a whitish looking 

 skin, denuded of feathers, the reason or cause of which is not 

 very obvious. A white variety of the Rook is sometimes 

 seen. The gamekeeper at Ashdown had a very fine white 

 Rook, which he kept tame in his garden. 



The eggs of this bird are five in number, similar to those of 

 the raven in colour^ but much smaller. The length of the 

 bird is nineteen inches. 



The JACKDAW is another well-known bird. It does not 

 build in the branches of trees like the Rook, to which it is very 

 similar in many respects, but prefers holes in decayed trees 

 or old buildings, particularly frequenting church towers and 

 steeples. The Jackdaw feeds upon almost any substance that 

 it can find. It kills mice with a single blow of its beak, and 

 then devours them piecemeal. Grasshoppers, beetles, &c. are 

 also killed by a squeeze across the thorax, and the head, wings, 

 and legs, are twisted off before the bird begins to eat them. 

 It treats bees, w r asps, and other stinged insects with much more 

 caution. The feathers upon the crown of its head are of a 

 greyish white colour, a peculiarity instantly distinguishing 

 it from the rook. It is frequently kept tarne, and is very 

 amusing in captivity.* The eggs are of a lighter colour than 



* A tame Jackdaw in the possession of one of my scholars used to travel backwards 

 and forwards from the school to his own home. When in the train, his terror at the 

 sight of ihe trees whizzing past him, was most ludicrous. He uttered a sharp cry of 

 fear, twisted round in his basket, and thrust his beak through the interstices on the 

 opposite side. After he had recovered from his fright, he was usually very talkative. 



