CROWS. 59 



were some sixty or seventy greydaws, dead, and impaled in 

 reckless mockery on the points of a hurdle fence at distances 

 of ten yards apart, a most melancholy avenue under the rays 

 of a rising moon ! It is hard to draw a hard and fast 

 distinction between what is cruelty to animals and what is 

 not ; but there ought to be no difficulty in morally denning 

 wanton slaughter or distinguishing it from legitimate sport. 



In coming to the rook we come to a very fertile source 

 of controversy which would fill a portly volume if argued 

 oat to the bitter end. 



" Rooks do endless damage to seed corn," say the farmers, 

 " and moreover peck holes in root crops, thereby letting in 

 the frost, thus ruining acres of keep at a time when it is 

 most valuable." 



" Besides this," suggests velveteens, who only knows 

 some half a dozen birds, classing all the rest as " vermin," 

 " they carry off plenty of young game in the season, and play 

 havoc amongst the c-o-ops if left unguarded for any time." 



Of these accusations, the first is undoubtedly the most 

 serious. Though the bareness at the base of their bills is 

 not due, as has been ingeniously suggested, to constant 

 friction with the soil, yet they are unquestionably great and 

 successful diggers. If wheat in a dry March is put in 

 lightly or broadcasted, the rooks will find it out and un- 

 doubtedly take their toll. Yet there is a cheap and easy 

 remedy at hand which solves their delinquencies at once, 

 and makes us safe, moreover, from small birds. 



There will be no further need of bird keepers if farmers 

 would adopt the following process : Take one pint of gas tar 

 to two gallons of warm water, for eight bushels of corn, and 

 well mix in the same way wheat is dressed for smut. 

 When sown neither rooks or game of any kind will disturb 

 it, nor will the dressing injure the growth of the seed. 



They by no means depend on one class of food for 

 support. A close observer illustrates this. He says : 



" During the last few years I have brought up young 



