PREDATORY HABITS OF THE ROOK. 



BY J. W. LUKIS^ ESQ. 



In confirmation of your corre?pondent's statement on the "Predacious habits 

 of the Rook," (Corvus frugileyus,) I send you the following facts which have 

 come under my notice: — Last season, whilst walking with a friend over his 

 grounds in this neighbourhood, we observed some Rooks very busily feeding, 

 and fighting for something, in a field at a distance from u?, which, on going 

 up, we found to be a Partridge's nest, which had contained eight or ten eggs. 

 They were all sucked, and the shells strewed about. 



Some years before, the same friend had a Partridge's nest in a field of 

 ^^cinquefoil," which, when it was being cut, the mowers took care not to dis- 

 turb, by leaving a space uncut round the nest. My friend watched it almost 

 daily until the third week of incubation, when one morning, as had been 

 his custom, he rode past the nest and saw the old bird sitting all right. On 

 his return through the field about two hours after, he saw some Rooks feeding 

 near where the nest was, and fearing lest his little protege might be disturbed 

 by them, hastened to the spot, but alas! too late; for the Rooks had sucked 

 all the eggs, and scattered the shells about. His poor little protege was 

 flying round and round, showing evident signs of distress and alarm, and 

 uttering a pitiful cry. 



Great Bedwyn, Wilts., October 8fh., 1851, 



FOREIGN BODIES IN EGGS. 



BY J. W. LUKIS, ESQ. 



Some years ago, my father had a Hen's 



,. ^ egg brought to him, with a human hair 



adhering to two sides of it. He did not 

 at first imagine that the hairs were connected 

 through the interior, but on breaking the 

 shell, he was doubly surprised at finding 

 that such was the fact; it passed through 

 the albumen, and either over the disk of 

 the yolk, or by the side of it. The singu- 

 larity of this circumstance urged him to preserve the shell for future exam- 

 ination, and making the matter known to the scientific world; but it was 

 delayed, and finally the shell was lost. Amongst my notes, I find the fact 

 of my having, some years ago, whilst eating a Hen's egg at breakfast, found 

 a barleycorn in the albumen, 



Grcid Bedwyn, Wilts., October Sth., 1851. 



VOL. II. c 



