THE ROOK. 



149 



How often at morn from my window I'd look 

 To see thee, to hear thee, affectionate Rook !(^) 

 era yd 9TuJqfii dii^ \o idg«< 



(8) Order, Vicje, (Linn.) Rook, Raven, Crow, Magpie, 

 Jack-Daw, Jay, &c. 



The Genus CoRVUS of Linnaus to which the Rook belongs, is 

 a numerous tribe, many of them well known in this country. 

 Above seventy species are scattered over the globe, the greater 

 part of which are found in almost every climate. The bill is 

 convex, sharp-edged, having a small tooth-like process near the 

 point. They are prolific, social, and clamorous ; building ge- 

 nerally in trees ; eggs five or six ; their food is mixed, some 

 animal, some vegetable. The following are the chief: 



The FrtigUeguSy or Rook, is black, with a bill yellowish 

 white, by which it may be readily distinguished from the Crow, 

 the size and colours of both birds being nearly the same. Inha- 

 bits Europe and Western Siberia, and well known in this country ; 

 builds in large communities called Rookeries, generally on the elm, 

 which it prefers, but sometimes on other trees. Flies abroad, 

 morning and evening, at certain periods of the year, in great 

 flocks; is very noisy. Found in this country the whole year round, 

 but said to be in France and Silesia migratory. It is a bird of 

 considerable intelligence j it is, besides, extremely useful by 

 feeding on large quantities of worms and the larvae of destriictive 

 insects, following the plough for such purposes. It also feeds 

 on corn, and will, if not prevented, pick out, after they are 

 dibbled, both peas and beans, from the holes, with a precision 

 truly astonishing; a very moderate degree of care is, however, 

 sufficient to prevent this evil, which is greatly overbalanced by 

 the positive good which it effects in the destruction of insects. 

 Eggs five, bluish green, with irregular blackish spots and streaks* 

 Flesh, when young, good. A further account of the habits of 

 this bird will be found in the Introduction. See also a poem 



