1402 The Zoologist — October, 1868. 



yet still the wood-quests are going in large flocks, and apparently have 

 not commenced to pair yet. It is, I think, unusual to see the ring 

 dove so gregarious at this season. 



Rook: malformations. — No bird seems to suffer so from accident 

 as the rook : one brought me to-day had the bill very curiously formed, 

 the mandibles at the tip crossing after the manner of the crossbill. 

 Injurious to Growing Corn. — Everyone knows, or at least all who 

 have unprejudiced eyes, that the rook is a very destructive bird to 

 growing seed-corn as well as to fresh-sown grain : thus the farmer has 

 many weeks to suffer loss (?) — yes, even when the grain has a sprou$ 

 of green two inches and more above the ground. The following note, 

 taken on the 5th of February, must convince even the sceptical that 

 undue numbers of rooks may occasionally injure the farmer during 

 seed-time and early growth :—" Whilst shooting on a friend's farm 

 to-day I was asked by him to shoot some rooks, which, he said, were 

 devastating a field of wheat. On refusing to do so, on the plea that 

 they did not injure corn once it had appeared above ground, I was 

 met by the answer, ' Wait till you see.' Thinking it impolitic to 

 refuse I discharged my gun, and both barrels brought pain and 

 sorrow to sundry rooks, whose crops indeed were full of corn. I 

 examined the field, and though it was a large one, not a square foot 

 of it but had been bored in by the rooks (a whole rookery) : there 

 was the sprout bitten off and the grain consumed, and many sprouts 

 laid bare all but to the grain : in fact, the whole field appeared as if 

 walked over by a legion of giants in cricket-shoes, or, in the emphatic 

 words of Charley, ' One 'id think it rained crow's bills.' ' Boring for 

 grubs and wire-worms ! count the grain in that fellow's throat, and 

 show me one grub. There are friends of mine, though : look at those 

 willy waters (wagtails) and tits (meadow pipits); they are destroying 

 wires and maggots; and where do they get them, but in the bores of 

 the rooks ? ' " There can be no mistake but this is a habit of the 

 rooks: it cannot be fairly glossed over — he does tear up corn. But, if 

 he wants any champion but that of common sense, I am his defender 

 still. What good does the destruction of a few birds do? None; 

 merely " so many the less." Five squibs of powder a-day and a boy, 

 and not a grain of your corn goes down a rook's throat. Reason, 

 friend: is it politic to prevent the destruction of a certain quantity of 

 grain ? Could all that is sown come up and thrive ? Frequently, not- 

 withstanding the ravages of birds, cereals grow far too thickly, in rich 

 soils lodging with the first heavy rain : this is particularly applicable 



