Trie ScoitisJi Naturanst. 167 



they are so constituted that they require a portion of animal food, 

 worms or otherwise, to maintain proper health. They therefore 

 by instinct hunt up the needful. 



" In moderate numbers, rooks, in my opinion, would be, as 

 they once were, very useful birds, the friends of the husbandman, 

 and very little of an enemy to the sportsman ; and something 

 should be done to have their number reduced, otherwise the 

 depredations described will be multiplied, and the country at large 

 will suffer loss. Those in a position to lessen the damage done 

 by rooks would, by greatly lessening their number, benefit both 

 farmers and sportsmen, as well as the general public. 



"The following extract from the First Parliament, 26th of May, 

 1424, cap. 19. James I. of Scotland, was kindly sent me by Sir 

 George S. Douglas : — ' Of bigging of Ruikes in trees. For thy 

 that men consideris that Ruikes biggand in Kirk Zairdes, 

 Orchardes, or Trees, dois greate shaith upon Cornes : It is 

 ordained that they that sic Trees perteinis to, lette them to big, 

 and suffer in na wise that their birds flie away. And quhair it be 

 tainted that they big, and the Birdes be flowin, and the nest be 

 funden in the Trees at Beltane the tres sal be foirfaulted to the 

 King (bot gif they be redeemed fra him, throw the that they first 

 perteined to) an hewin downe, and five schillings to the Kingis 

 unlaw.' " 



[Mr. Smail adds numerous extracts from the replies received by 

 him to the schedules. There is a very general agreement in these 

 replies as regards the food of rooks being as stated above by him- 

 self ; but at the same time it would seem that there are differences 

 depending on the locality of the writers, the rooks of some districts 

 not having developed the harmful tastes so strongly shown by 

 their kindred in other places. Accordingly, they are reported by 

 a few observers as not injurious to turnips, and as not habitually 

 eaters of eggs and of young birds. We seem here to be in presence 

 of the development of new habits resulting from changed con- 

 ditions of life for the rooks, owing to changes in the methods of 

 agriculture throughout the land. — Ed., Scot. Nat.] 



RARE BIRDS IN ABERDEENSHIRE— On 24th August, 1883, two 

 specimens of the Canada Goose, Anser canadensis, were shot from a flock of 

 seven, near the Loch of Strathbeg, near Peterhead. The birds were in fine 

 condition. Could these birds have been truly wild, or were they escaped 

 birds ? 



A very fine example of the Golden Eagle, Aquila Chrysaetus, was shot on 

 the Haddo estate, the property of the Earl of Aberdeen. It was a female, 

 weighing twelve pounds. Part of a hare was found in the stomach. — G. Sim. 



