List of Birds Examined. 59 



Conclusion. 



There is ample evidence to show that with the present large 

 number of rooks, a grain diet is preferred. 



So far as the evidence of this inquiry shows, the rook is not 

 a particularly beneficial bird to the agriculturist, although its 

 usefulness might be considerably increased were it less numerous. 



SKYLARK. 



Alauda arvensis, Linn. 



The results obtained from an investigation of forty post-mortems 

 of adults and nine of nestlings agree fairly closely with those 

 obtained by Hammond (60), indeed, the only difference is the 

 method of tabulation, thus I regard Collembola as distinctly 

 injurious, whereas he places them under the heading "neutral," 

 and seeds of weeds under "benefits." 



Archibald (4) states : " The food of the skylark is composed to 

 some extent of farm produce, but for this it makes amends by 

 eating many destructive insects, including the wireworm, as well as 

 the seeds of such pernicious weeds as charlock, knotgrass, and 

 chickweed. Seed corn, especially autumn-sown wheat, both before 

 and after sprouting, possesses great attractions for it, but it is 

 only in exceptional cases that the crop is materially injured in 

 consequence." 



Hammond (60) sums up as follows: "The bulk of the food 

 consists of weed seeds ; this is eked out in the summer months by 

 insects, and in the winter by pieces of leaf, for the most part of 

 crops. . . . the damage to leys and wheat is done for the 

 most part by the migratory birds ; but the damage to ' small seeds ' 

 is probably done by the birds breeding here. The conclusion 

 reached is that, on the whole, the lark is beneficial ; but, owing to 

 the injuries done at certain times of the year, there is no reason 

 why it should be specially protected, although its wholesale 

 slaughter is to be deprecated." 



Post-mortem Records. 



Forty stomachs were examined, the specimens being obtained 

 during each month of the year. The materials found may be 

 summarised as follows : 



