THE ROOK 41 



trees near a house, or in a park, or by a church, and in small woods, 

 frequently near the habitations of man. The nests are built on the 

 tops of high trees, and are composed of sticks or twigs, lined inside 

 with dead grass and other material, old nests being repaired. The 

 eggs are five in number, and are bluish green, with dark spots or 

 patches. The male and female sit alternately upon the eggs, and 

 both attend to the rearing of the young birds. This occurs during 

 the spring, usually April, when insect larvae are equally voracious 

 with the nestling rooks. Cockchafer grubs, wireworm, leather- 

 jackets and other ground pests of crops, oak-leaf roller moth 

 caterpillars, small ermine and other moth caterpillars, with 



FIG. 32. THE ROOK. 



slugs and worms, form a major portion of the food of the young 

 rooks and of their parents. But the rooks also feed upon newly 

 sown grain, upon "set " potatoes, and are oftentimes a great plague 

 to poultry and pheasant rearers, not only taking the food, but in 

 some cases appropriating weakly young birds. For walnuts 

 the rooks have a particular penchant, taking them off the trees 

 wholesale, and they act similarly in regard to acorns, feeding also 

 upon beech-mast, wild berries and various seeds. 



The JACKDAW (Corvus monedula), included in the order In- 

 sessores and family Corvinae or true Crows, is distinguished by 

 its comparatively short black bill, white eyes, head and neck of 

 a grey colour, glossy black upper plumage, dusky colour of the 

 under plumage, and by the black legs. The average length is 

 about 12 in. The nest is built in towers, spires, and other 

 elevated situations, and even in towns and populous cities breed- 

 ing is carried on freely. The eggs are of a greenish colour, spar- 



