THE ROOK. 219 



bers on some upland farms of the Borders, and destroyed 

 acres of pasture, were not kept in subjection by Eooks, their 

 ravages would soon become much more serious to the farmer 

 than any damage done by these birds to his crops.^ Mr. 

 Hardy mentions that they are often very beneficial to oak 

 trees in summer, by clearing their foliage of the caterpillar 

 of the Tetrix and winter moth.^ 



This bird is omnivorous, but it appears to prefer worms 

 and grubs, when these can be got, to any other food. Besides 

 attacking farm crops when its favourite diet is scarce, it 

 also destroys game by searching for and devouring the eggs^ 

 of Pheasants and Partridges, and likewise preying upon 

 their young when newly hatched. It occasionally commits 

 depredations amongst very small chickens in the poultry 

 yard, an instance of this having occurred at Paxton in the 

 spring of 1882, when many chickens were taken away by 

 Eooks from the home farm of Nabdean. They sometimes 

 pounced down on their prey within a short distance of the 

 henwife, and were so wary that the gamekeeper, who kept 

 watch with his gun, succeeded in shooting very few of the 

 depredators. 



Towards the end of summer, Eooks frequent the Lara- 

 mermuirs, where they feed upon crawberries {Empeti'um 

 nigrum), and blaeberries (Vaccinium myrtillus).^ They some- 

 times roost all night on the heather. 



They seem to be very regular in some of their habits, 

 for, at Paxton, where there is a large rookery by the side of 



1 For a full account of the ravages of the grass or antler moth on the Borders, 

 see Mr. Hardy's paper on this insect in the History of the Berwickshire Natur- 

 alists' Club, vol. xi. pp. 195-205. 



" Mr. Hardy's MS. Notes. 



^ About ten years ago a Rook was caught in a trap set at a Call Duck's nest at 

 Paxton. It had eaten five of the eggs before the trap was put down, and when 

 caught, the culprit was in the act of breakfasting on the remainder of the eggs 

 in the nest. 



■* Mr. Hardy's MS. Notes. 



