i4o THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



husbandman has, according to Mr. Speedy, in your issue 

 of February 25 last, 'long been an open question/ but 

 whether now finally set at rest I am not aware. Natural- 

 ists and I suppose I may include Mr. Speedy among the 

 number differ among themselves on many subjects in 

 natural history, which shows that they are not infallible ; 

 but I believe I am correct in stating that, so far as the 

 rooks are concerned, they are about unanimous in the 

 opinion that these birds are the friends and not the 

 enemies of the farmers. Mr. Speedy, however, does not 

 furnish data sufficient to enable one to decide one way 

 or the other. He admits that ' rooks were responsible at 

 times for a very considerable amount of mischief;' but, on 

 the other hand, he states that these birds 'were charged 

 with eating up crops while taking the best possible means 

 to protect them.' 



"As an old farmer, I should like to be informed what 

 crop it is that the rooks are charged with eating up while 

 taking the best possible means for its protection. I am 

 not aware of such generous action on the part of the rooks. 

 It is, in my opinion, neither wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, 

 nor turnips. Neither is it the crop of onions alluded to 

 by Mr. Speedy, for, be it noted, this crop was ' blighted 

 and fading away as if it had been sown where there was 

 neither moisture nor soil ' that is to say, this crop was 

 already destroyed before the rooks attacked the grubs 

 with which the crop was infested. The wily birds were 

 wide enough awake to the fact that it was no use search- 

 ing for grubs so long as the crop presented a healthy 

 appearance, for at this period the grubs were either absent, 

 or else so diminutive as to be entirely beneath the notice 

 of the big birds. It is thus clearly seen that the rooks 

 made no effort to protect the onions, but assisted the 

 grubs in destroying the crop. As to the field of wheat 

 alluded to, Mr. Speedy does not seem to have realised the 

 fact that in pulling up the young braird the rooks were in 

 search, not of grubs, as a few suppose, but in search of 

 the parent seed, and this pulling up and digging continues 

 so long and no longer as any substance remains in the 



