216 ROOKS. 



and their depredations. For, allowing that the Rook 

 may do an occasional injury to the husbandman, it con- 

 fers benefits in a far greater proportion, and to an extent 

 of which few are aware. Some of our readers, who live 

 in the southern counties, know full well how the air, on 

 a Summer's evening, swarms with cockchafers, and other 

 insects of the beetle tribe ; but, unless they are natu- 

 ralists, they do not know that each of those cockchafers 

 or beetles has been living under-ground for no less than 

 from three to four years, in the form of a largo whitish 

 grub, devouring incessantly the tender roots of grasses, 

 and every description of grain ; and that it is in search 

 of them the Rooks flock round the ploughshare, and, 

 thrusting their bills into the loosened earth, devour these- 

 ruinous root-eaters by thousands and tens of thousands. 

 So injurious are they, indeed, in favourable seasons, that 

 the sum of twenty-five pounds was once allowed to a 

 poor farmer in Norfolk as a compensation for his losses * r 

 and the man and his servant declared that they had 

 actually gathered eighty bushels of cockchafers. 



In France, again, many provinces were so ravaged by 

 grubs, that a premium was offered by government for the 

 best mode of ensuring their destruction ; and yet, singir- 

 larly enough, so little were the people acquainted with 

 the real and best mode of stopping the mischief, that 

 when their dreadful Revolution broke out, accompanied 

 with murder and bloodshed which can never be forgot- 

 ten, the country people, amongst other causes of dissa- 

 tisfaction with their superiors, alleged their being fond 

 of having rookeries near their houses ; and, in one in- 

 stance, a mob of these misguided and ignorant people 

 proceeded to the residence of the principal gentleman in 

 their neighbourhood, from whence they dragged him, 

 and hung his body upon a gibbet, after which they 

 attacked the rookery, and continued to shoot the Rooks- 

 amidst loud acclamations. 



It is scarcely necessary to name the wire- worm as one 

 of the greatest scourges to which the farmers are ex- 



