244 ROOKS. 



will examine first, the unfavourable side. A Rook 

 which we kept for some time, was, after a night's 

 fast, fed entirely upon oats, of which it ate, in twenty- 

 four hours, two ounces, of sixteen ounces to the 

 pound ; while another, under similar circumstances, 

 consumed two ounces and a half of bread. 



This certainly would bear strongly against them, 

 was there nothing to be said in mitigation ; but it 

 should be remembered, that the above consumption 

 is founded upon the supposition, that Rooks lived 

 entirely upon grain, which so far from being the 

 case, is very much the reverse ; for they prefer an 

 insect diet, if not altogether, at least to a great 

 extent. And even with respect to grain, they will 

 not willingly eat it, except in a particular state, pre- 

 ferring it when somewhat softened, and more par- 

 ticularly during the time of its undergoing the 

 natural malting process, when it not only swells, 

 but becomes soft, with an addition of about two- 

 thirds of gum and sugar to the small quantity it 

 before contained. During this critical time, the 

 fresh-sowji crop is undoubtedly in some peril, as 

 well as a short time before harvest, when the soft 

 and sweet ears of green grain offer irresistible temp- 

 tation to a robbery of which it is to be feared they 

 must be found guilty, and no money can be more 

 profitably laid out, at such critical moments, than 

 the daily wages of a few boys, for the sole purpose 

 of frightening them away. 



Fresh-planted potatoes are also, for a time, in 

 jeopardy; but when they have fairly sprouted, the 

 Rooks' depredations are suspended till the season 

 for digging them up, when a trifling loss may be 



