442 THE ROLL OF THE SEASONS 



like as to like eggs and young birds, and seems to 

 know no difference between the offspring of the black- 

 bird and the pheasant. The story even comes from 

 Scotland that this new (?) carnivorous habit has given 

 many rooks there the black whiskers that belong to 

 the carrion-crow, and that, generally, the rook is falling 

 under the vices that characterise the villainous corbie. 

 In so far as egg-stealing is a new habit, it comes of 

 increased opportunities in the way of a flesh diet and 

 increased restriction of the supply of lesser life that 

 arable fields afford. While agriculture wanes, a pass- 

 ing phase we truly hope, the rook is not of the supreme 

 importance he once was. But we hope the country 

 will long hold those whose aesthetic joy in him over- 

 whelms the annoyance caused by his occasional 

 departure from usefulness. 



