B.e\A{. B. Tristram on the Ornithtilogy of Palestine. 67 



mingled that without close inspection the Rook might easily be 

 overlooked. Having, of course, no European specimens by us for 

 comparison, we did not at the time detect any differences, except- 

 ing the very remarkable one, that, with scarcely an exception, 

 the plumage at the base of the mandibles was as perfect as in 

 the Carrion-Crovv. All our specimens were shot between De- 

 cember and March. Of eight, which fell to my own share, one 

 only, shot at Nablous on the 28th of February, has the mandibles 

 denuded. A Jerusalem specimen has them very partially so. 

 All my other specimens had the plumage entire, and we observed 

 the same of many others which we had no time to preserve. 

 Thus our induction is sufficiently large, and it is evident that 

 the denudation is no specific character of the adult, but simply 

 caused by abrasion in digging. Yet it is not a little singular 

 that one specimen should be completely denuded, while others, 

 shot out of the same flock and feeding in the same manner, had 

 not shed their plumage. I may observe that Mr. Swinhoe's 

 specimen of C. pastinator, shot at Pekiu in October and now 

 before me, is only very slightly denuded. Our Palestine experi- 

 ence proves that this peculiarity, cautiously dwelt upon by Mr. 

 Swinhoe (Proc. Z. S. 1863, p. 306) will not of itself hold good 

 as any proof of specific distinction. Probably our artificial state 

 of society and the advance of agriculture has much to do with 

 the close-shaven cheeks of our Rooks, which may after all be as 

 unnatural as the carefully scraped chins of humanity. In a 

 country like Palestine, where there is so little true agriculture, 

 and where subsoil- ploughing has not yet been introduced, the 

 Rook is deprived of his razors, for he has no need to plunge so 

 far into the soil for his food ; indeed it would be impossible for 

 him to do so. Again, it is possible that he is in Palestine imi- 

 tating the human inhabitants, fast reverting to a state of 

 barbarism, and losing his civilized and agricultural habits. He 

 does not keep the best of company, and, constantly consorting 

 with Ravens, he may have adopted some of their habits, re- 

 nounced vegetarianism altogether, even tasted the unclean morsel 

 and found it to his liking. 



On our return to England I found by comparison with British 

 specimens that there were sufficient constant differences to 



r2 



