272 BIEDS OF NORFOLK. 



being hatched. At Keswick, the old birds were observed 

 returning to their nests, long after their usual time in 

 the evening, and most probably, like the herons, they en- 

 deavoured to supply the wants of their young during the 

 night as well. Many were the complaints that reached 

 me of their depredations upon the nests of pheasants 

 and partridges, and dire the threats of the keepers, in 

 one case resulting even in an order for the destruction 

 of a rookery ; yet where game preserving is carried to so 

 great an extent, and dozens of nests are scattered about 

 in accessible situations, surely the rook errs in ignorance 

 of the heinousness of his crime, whilst, may be, a jury of 

 tenant farmers would scarcely find him guilty. With 

 regard to those essentially useful qualities, however, 

 which must be duly considered in discussing this subject, 

 I will content myself with quoting an admirable passage 

 from St. John's " Sport in Moray" (p. 62) : " For many 

 months of the year, the rooks live wholly on grubs, 

 caterpillars, &c., in this way doing an amount of service 

 to the farmer which is quite incalculable, destroying his 

 greatest and most insidious enemy. In districts where 

 rooks have been completely expelled this has been seen 

 by whole crops of wheat and clover being destroyed at 

 the root by the wireworm and other enemies, which can 

 only be effectually attacked by birds. When we consider 

 the short time during which rooks feed on grain, and 

 the far longer season during which they live wholly on 

 grubs and such like food, it will be believed by all 

 impartial lookers on that the rook may be set down 

 rather as the farmers' friend than his enemy. On 

 close observation, when the rook appears to be following 

 the harrows for the purpose of feeding on the newly- 

 sown wheat, it will be found that it is picking up a great 

 quantity of large white grubs, leaving the grain un- 

 touched." To this testimony of a thoroughly practical 

 out-door naturalist, I may add that in the autumn of 



