2 HE KOOK. 121 



At least, he was seen to do so one day by a gentleman who was sitting 

 reading out of doors. The crow flew over his head with the t^^ in his bill, 

 and dropped it on the ground. It was not broken, as you might suppose, but 

 was quite whole. The crow had stolen it out of the nest of the wild duck. 



Like the raven and the magpie, he steals all kinds of things that can do 

 him no kind of good, and carries them off to his hiding-place. 



4M\W-' 







^ '_ ,--rN^> 



THE POOK. 



THE ROOK. 



We need hardly describe the rook, you know him so well. 



His silky, glossy plumage shines in the sun, as he struts about the field 

 looking for worms. He is the earliest abroad of all the birds. When the 

 dew is on the grass, and ere the sun has risen, he betakes himself to the open 

 country, to feed on the worms that have come to the surface of the ground ; 

 or he even condescends to visit the streets and search among the heaps of 

 refuse that lie there waiting to be carried away. 



All day long you may see him at work in the pastures. He breaks up 



