68 



season. Watching at a distance after having discovered a 

 nest, they await the absence of the hen bird, when the pair of 

 plunderers hasten to the spot, and in a few moments the work 

 of devastation is accomplished. A keen sportman once related 

 the following occurrence to the author. 



Whilst crossing for pleasure a portion of mountain strictly 

 preserved, and where grouse were breeding in considerable 

 numbers, he startled a pair of scald crows from the remains 

 of young grouse which had just emerged from the shell. The 

 hen grouse appeared to have struggled to preserve her pro- 

 geny, as, before my informant had startled them, he had ob- 

 served one of the crows diving in the air near the place, pos- 

 sibly to attract her attention from the young. Since that time 

 the same gentleman informed me that many of these birds had 

 been immolated by him, as he would prefer giving one the 

 contents of a barrel rather than the best grouse that ever rose 

 to his gun. 



Indigenous. 



SPECIES 65 THE ROOK. 



Corvus frugilegus. Linn. 

 Corleau freux. Temm. 



Praheen Crow. 



THIS familiar, well-known species is widely distributed in all 

 portions of the island, and occurs in flocks of considerable 

 magnitude. Their habits as regards injury and benefit to the 

 farmer having been so often discussed, both by parties who are 

 perfectly competent to do so, and by others as equally incom- 

 petent, that we could fill many pages with the doubtful de- 

 cisions of the rook's various advocates for good or evil. How- 

 ever, we think that country must be poor indeed not to allow 

 a few abstracted potatoes and grains of seed to be set opposite 

 as a remuneration for the incalculable services it performs, 

 by consuming such quantities of wire worms which constitute, 

 in nine cases out often, the usual food found in the crop. But, 

 unfortunately for the rook, it has obtained such a bad name, 

 that all the learned disquisitions in the world could not suc- 

 ceed in removing a prejudice, in some classes religiously be- 

 queathed from father to son. The farmer's mind has become 

 so tinged with thoughts of this " gentleman in black," that 

 Cromwell is discarded, and the " curse of the crows" substi- 

 tuted in his place. 



Unfortunate bird, the doom of Ishmael is determinedly 

 enacted against it. Persecuted at all times, and by every 



