-popular Stctionart) of ftmrnatrtt Mature. 581 



of the same vivid appearance as the wings 

 the base and the tips being deep blue, and 

 the middle part pale or greenish-blue. In 

 this species the two exterior tail-fathers do 

 not project beyond the rest. The bill is 

 black ; and the legs reddish brown. Native 

 of many parts of India and the Indian 

 islands. 



ROOK. (Corvus frugilegus.) Both in size 

 and figure the Kook greatly^ resembles the 

 Carrion Crow ; their colour is also similar, 

 the plumage of each being glossed with a 

 rich purple; the principal distinction between 

 the two species is found in the bill of the 

 Rook, the base of which is covered with a 

 rough scabrous skin. These birds are very 

 sociable, and build close to each other in 

 trees, frequently in the midst of large and 

 populous towns. In these aerial abodes they 

 establish a kind of legal constitution, and 

 suffer none to fix their domicile among them 

 but acknowledged natives of the place. 

 Rookeries are, in consequence, often the 

 scenes of bitter contests ; the half-built 

 nests of new comers torn in pieces, and the 

 unfortunate couple forced to begin anew 

 in some more undisturbed situation. At the 

 commencement of spring the Rooks begin to 

 build their nests ; and one of them brings 

 materials, while the other watches the build- 

 ing, lest it should be plundered by its 

 bretliren. All the old inhabitants, however, 

 are already provided with nests; those 

 wh;ch served them in former years requiring 

 only a little trimming and dressing to render 

 them equally commodious with new habita- 



tions. 



ROOZ. (CORVDS PKUOILBOUS.) 



The young Rooks indeed are unpro- 



vided, but they do not long remain so. As 

 soon as the male and female have fixed on 

 an eligible branch, they begin to collect 

 suitable materials ; the outside of the nest 

 consisting chiefly of sticks, and the inside 

 usually lined with fibrous roots ; the whole 

 regularly and substantially arranged. It 

 not unfrequently happens that some of the 

 old birds take umbrage at the young ones 

 for making Choice of a spot too near the 

 abode of the former ; hostilities ensue, and 

 a speedy removal is the consequence ; but 

 all opposition ceases whenever the female 

 begins to lay, and not one of the whole co- 

 lony will afterwards molest her. They are 

 gregarious, and fly in immense flocks morn- 



ing and evening to and from their roosting- 

 places in quest of food. 



Rooks are often accused of feeding on the 

 corn just after it has been sown, and various 

 methods have been contrived both to kill 

 and frighten them away ; but persons who 

 have paid the most attention to this subject 

 are of opinion that the advantages derived 

 from the destruction which they make upon 

 grubs, larvse, worms, and noxious insects, 

 greatly overpay the injury done to the future 

 harvest, by the small quantity of corn they 

 may destroy in searching after their favour- 

 ite food. But as much has been written on 

 this oft-disputed question, as well as on the 

 iustincts of Rooks, a few extracts in this 

 place may not be deemed inappropriate. 



" When the waters retire from meadows 

 and low lauds, where they have remained 

 any time, a luxurious banquet is provided 

 for this corvus, in the multitude of worms 

 which it finds drowned on them. But its 

 jubilee is the season of the cockchafer (melo- 

 lontha vnlffaris), when every little copse, 

 every oak, becomes animated with it and all 

 its noisy, joyful family, feeding and scram- 

 bling for the insect food. The power or 

 faculty, be it by the scent, or by other means 

 that rooks possess of discovering their food, 

 is very remarkable. I have often ot<erved 

 them alight on a pasture of uniform verdure, 

 and exhibiting no sensible appearance of 

 withering or decay, and immediately com- 

 mence stocking up the ground. Upon in- 

 vestigating the object of their operations, I 

 have found many heads of plantains, the 

 little autumnal dandelions, and other plants, 

 drawn out of the ground and scattered about, 

 their roots having been eaten off by a grub, 

 leaving only a crown of leaves upon the 

 surface. This grub beneath, in the earth, 

 the Rooks had detected in their flight, and 

 descended to feed on it, first pulling up the 

 plant which concealed it, and then drawing 

 the larvae from their holes. By what inti- 

 mation this bird had discovered its hidden 

 food we are at a loss to conjecture ; but the 

 Rook has always been supposed to scent 

 matters with great discrimination." Journ. 

 of a Naturalist. 



" The Rook entices Its young from the 

 breeding trees as soon as they can flutter to 

 ny other. These young, for a few evenings 

 after flight, will return with their parents, 

 and roost where they were bred ; but they 

 soon quit their abode, and remain absent 

 the whole of the summer months. As soon, 

 lowever, as the heat of summer is sub- 

 dued, and the air of autumn felt, they return 

 and visit their forsaken habitations, and 

 some few of them even commence the repair 

 of their shattered nests ; but this meeting is 

 very differently conducted from that in the 

 spring ; their voices have now a mellowness 

 approaching to musical, with little mixture 

 >t that harsh and noisy contention, so dis- 

 ;racting at the former season, and seems 

 more like a grave consultation upon future 

 irocedure ; and as winter approaches they 

 depart for some other place. The object of 

 this meeting is unknown ; nor are we aware 

 hat any other bird revisits the nest it has 

 once forsaken." Ibid. 



