222 



R O O K. Class II. 



This bird difrers not greatly in its form from 

 the carrion crow : the fize of the rook is fu- 

 perior j but the colors in each are the fame, the 

 plumage of both being glofled with a rich purple. 

 But what diftinguifhes the rook from the crow is 

 the bill ; the noftrils, chin, and fides of that and 

 the mouth being in old birds white and bared of 

 feathers, by often thrufting the bill into the ground 

 in fearch of the ertide of the Dor-beetle * ; the 

 rook then, inftead of being profcribed, fhould be 

 treated as the farmer's friend-, as it clears his ground 

 from caterpillars, that do incredible damage by eat- 

 ing the roots of the corn. Rooks are fociabk'birds, 

 living in vaft flocks: crows go only in pairs. They 

 begin to build their nefts in March ; one bringing 

 materials, while the other watches the neft, left ic 

 lliould be plundered by its brethren : they lay the 

 fame number of eggs as the crow, and of the 

 fame color, but lefs. After the breeding feafon 

 rooks forfake their nefl- trees, and for feme time go 

 and rood elfewhere, but return to them in Auguft : 

 in O^ober they repair their nells -f . 



* Scarabaius melolantha. Lin.fyji, 351. Rofel^ II. Tab. i. 

 h'ljl. Goed, 26^. 



f Calendar of Flora. 



La 



