126 British Birds^ 



natural offence. The Kook resorts to the same nest 

 year after year, merely making such repairs as a 

 year's wear and tear from wind and rain and accident 

 have rendered necessary. When the nest is ready, 

 four or five eggs are deposited, of a greenish ground- 

 colour more or less intense in shade, plentifully 

 mottled and blotched with darker and varying shades 

 of brownish green. Many of the eggs strongly re- 

 semble those of the Crow, while others are much more 

 like those of the Jackdaw. As in the case of the 

 Bullfinch, the Rook is often blamed for doing mischief 

 which was really done by the creature which formed 

 the real object of search to the supposed offender. 

 The wire worm and the grub of the cockchafer do in- 

 finite damage in grass or corn-fields by eating off the 

 roots of the plants in question. The Rook pulls up 

 these ruined plants and eats the offending larvae. The 

 farmer or superficial observer only sees the dead grass 

 or corn plant, and foolishly accuses the Rook, and 

 persecutes him, though in reality a friend and bene- 

 factor, to the death. Not but what the Rook does 

 mischief at times ; for I have often seen newly sown 

 corn-fields black with them, and have been continually 

 a witness to the very extensive damage done to the 

 potato crop just when the young tubers were in most 

 active growth and most susceptible of harm. Still, a 

 few precautions will suffice to protect both corn-field 

 and potato-crop during the brief space while protec- 

 tion is necessary, and the balance of good done is so 

 greatly on the predominating side, that the Rook may 

 well continue to be protected. Rook shooting has 

 charms for many. For myself I seem to see cruelty 



