9044 Birds. 
to make any attack upon, or to give a bad name to, the rooks, of which we have a great 
number in this neighbourhood; and I am quite sure, from experience, that they do 
much more good than harm, though, on account of their omnivorous propensities, they 
undoubtedly do mischief at times, and get blamed for more than they really do. That 
it was a rook, as mentioned by me (Zool. 8885), that was feeding on the young rabbit, 
I am perfectly certain, as I got quite close, within about half a gun-shot, and could 
distinctly see the rough white skin round the base of his beak: had I entertained any 
doubt on the subject, I could easily have shot him, as | had a gun in my hand at the 
time. Were further evidence necessary, the fact of his joining a flock of rooks in the 
next field, some of whom till frightened by me were in the same field, and close by 
the rabbit-eater, I think conclusive, as I do not believe that crows ever associate so 
intimately with rooks. I certainly considered both the rabbit and the sand-eel very 
unusual food for rooks, and made a note of what I had seen when I returned home, 
from which I copied.—Cecil Smith; Lydiard House, near Taunton, March 14, 1864. 
[I never doubted Mr. Smith’s bird was a rook: I always conclude that no one 
would venture an opinion on such a subject who did not know a rook from a crow.— 
E. Newman.| - 
Food of the Rook.—Col. Newman mentions, in the ‘ Zoologist’ (Zool. 8952), the 
fact of rooks eating eggs as an extraordinary circumstance, only to be accounted for 
by the great scarcity of water. I have several times seen a number of rooks plundering 
a duck’s nest by the side of a pond, and short work they made of the eggs: my 
attention was drawn by a number of rooks (upwards of twenty) cawing and fighting 
for the eggs, which were laid amongst rushes close to the water’s edge. I suppose the 
nests were discovered by some of the birds going to the pond to drink. Some years 
ago I saw three rooks (not carrion crows) attack a missel thrush’s nest, and, in spite of 
the indignant clamour of the owners, carry off the eggs to a neighbouring rookery. 
That rooks will eat carrion freely I have seen many proofs, and have used it as a bait 
when wishing to shoot some of them, and once killed six at one shot, feeding on a 
piece of dead calf.—Joseph H. Ellis ; Leicester, March 19, 1864. 
Abundance of the Kingfisher in Lincolnshire —The kingfisher has been unusually 
plentiful in this neighbourhood this winter, more particularly, however, in the months 
of October and November. When out shooting, I have repeatedly seen these beautiful 
birds, and in many drains and places where I have never in previous seasons noticed 
them. A few pairs remain here during the summer, but few compared with the 
number that have visited us this winter—John Cordeaux; Great Coates, Ulceby, 
Lincolnshire, April 4, 1864. 
Arrival of the Wryneck.—I had a wryneck sent me from Sidlesham on the 19th 
instant: this is about a fortnight before the usual time of its appearance here.— 
W. Jeffrey, jun.; Ratham, Chichester, March 22, 1864. 
Arrival of Cuckoos, Nightingales and Swallows.—All I can say in reference to the 
very numerous records I have received of sucb events prior to the middle of March, 
is that I cannot print them unless their authenticity is vouched for by some ornitho- 
logist with whom I am personally acquainted. Without denying the possibility of 
such occurrences, I must decline the responsibility of publishing them.—Hdward 
Newman. 
The Willow Grouse and Red Grouse.—I have just been reading Mr. Reeks’s com- 
munication (Zool. 8955), and shall here offer a few remarks in reply to that gentle- 
man. I certainly have not seen Mr. Wheelwright’s letters in the ‘ Field,’ for I do not 
