TASTE OF INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 179 



Europe, in September and October, killed crows 

 altogether like rooks, with the fore part of the head 

 quite covered with feathers, most probably the young 

 rooks of the year. I have also seen in the beginning 

 of winter very considerable flocks pass into Lorraine, 

 of these same crows, having their faces clothed with 

 feathers. Besides, it would be very easy to ascertain 

 whether this bird naturally loses the feathers on its 

 face, or whether this loss is caused by continual 

 rubbing on the ground while in search of food. It 

 would be quite sufficient to rear a young rook in a 

 cage for one year, and then if the same effect were 

 produced, it ought to be considered characteristic of 

 the species, as it is of some other birds. In this case 

 the crow of the Cape in question would, in spite of 

 its close resemblance to the rook of Europe, be a 

 distinct species. Then the crows I have mentioned, 

 which I saw and killed in Lorraine, would be nothing 

 else than young rooks ; for, as I have remarked with 

 respect to vultures having naked heads, they might 

 have this part feathered when young. I propose to 

 ascertain this point on the first opportunity *." 



It does not appear that M. Vaillant ever made, or 

 at least published his proposed observations, and it is 

 riot usual to tame rooks : M. Bechsteiri says he never 

 saw one tamed t ; but the compiler of Bewick (well 

 known not to have been the admirable artist himself) 

 vaguely says, 4 ' the same appearance'' of the base of 

 the bill " has been observed in such as have been 

 brought up tame," and therefore " we are inclined 

 to consider it an original peculiarity!/' 



Mr. Waterton, in a recent paper, very satisfac- 

 torily disproves the opinion, that the feathers are 

 removed by the process of the bird thrusting its bill 

 into the ground. 



* Oiseaux d'Afrique, ii. 12. 



f Taschenbuch Deutch, i, 97. J Birds, i. 86, edit. 1826. 



s 3 



