THE COMMON ROOK. 129 



culty to support its life, for in a dry spring or summer 

 most of these are hidden in the earth beyond its reach, 

 except at those uncertain periods when the grub of the 

 chaffer is to be found ; and in a hot day we see the 

 poor birds perambulating the fields, and wandering by 

 the sides of the highways, seeking for, and feeding 

 upon grasshoppers, or any casual nourishment that may 

 be found. At those times, was it not for its breakfast 

 of dew-worms, which it catches in the gray of the morn 

 ing, as it is appointed the earliest of risers, it would 

 commonly be famished. In the hot summer of 1825, 

 many of the young brood of the season perished from 

 want; the mornings were without dew, and conse- 

 quently few or no worms were to be obtained ; and we 

 found them dead under the trees, having expired on 

 their roostings. It was particularly distressing, for no 

 relief could be given, to hear the constant clamor and 

 importunity of the young for food. The old birds 

 seemed to suffer without complaint ; but the wants of 

 their offspring were expressed by the unceasing cry of 

 hunger, and pursuit of the parents for supply, and our 

 fields were scenes of daily restlessness and lament. 

 Yet, amid all this distress, it was pleasing to observe 

 the perseverance of the old birds in the endeavor to re- 

 lieve their famishing families, as many of them remain- 

 ed out searching for food quite in the dusk, and return- 

 ed to their roosts long after the usual period for retiring. 

 In this extremity it becomes a plunderer, to which by 

 inclination it is not much addicted, and resorts to our 

 newly-set potato-fields, digging out the cuttings. Ranks 

 are seen sadly defective, the result of its labors, I fear; 

 and the request of my neighbors now and then for a 

 bird from my rookery, to hang up in terrorem in their 

 fields, is confirmatory of its bad name. Ii> autumn a 

 ripe pear, or a walnut, becomes an irresistible tempta- 

 tion, and it will occasionally obtain a good share of 

 these fruits. In .hard frost, it is pinched again, visits 

 for food the banks of streams, and in conjunction with 

 its congener the "villain crow," becomes a wayfaring 

 bird, and seeks a dole from every passing steed. Its 

 life, however, is not always dark and sombre : it has its 





