THE ROOK. 291 



foundation of sticks, upon which the softer substances are laid. The interior of the nest is 

 made of grasses, fibrous roots, the hair of cows and horses, which the Crow mostly obtains 

 from trees and posts where the cattle are in the habit of rubbing themselves, mosses, and 

 wool. The eggs are extremely variable, or rather individual, in their markings, and even in 

 their size, those in my own collection being so different from each other that an inexperienced 

 person would set them down as belonging to different species. The Crow very seldom uses 

 the same nest for a second breeding season, although it often repairs to the same locality year 

 after year. Once or twice it has been known to lay its eggs on the same foundation as it had 

 employed during the previous season, but in general it pulls the former nest to pieces, and 

 constructs a fresh one on its site. 



This bird is remarkable for its attachment to its mate and young, far surpassing the fawn 

 and turtle-dove in matrimonial courtesy. 



The Somali Arabs bear a deadly hatred towards the Ctoav, and kill it whenever they meet 

 with it. The origin of their detestation is as follows : During the Might of Mohammed from 

 his enemies, he hid himself in a cave, where lie was perceived by the Crow, at that time a 

 light-plumaged bird, who, when it saw the pursuers approach the spot, sat over Mohammed's 

 hiding-place, and screamed, "Ghar! ghar!" i.e., "Cave! cave!" so as to indicate the place 

 of concealment. His enemies, however, did not understand the bird, and passed on, and 

 Mohammed, when he came out of the cave, clothed the Crow in perpetual black, and ordered 

 it to cry "ghar" as long as Crows should live. When they have killed a Crow, the Arabs 

 remove the gall, employing it for the manufacture of collyrium, or dye for the eyelids. 



The color of the Crow is a uniform blue-black, like that of the raven, but varieties are 

 known in which the feathers have been pied or even cream-white. 



The most familiar of all the Corvidai is the common Rook, a bird which has attached 

 itself to the habitations of mankind, and, in course -of time, has partially domesticated itself 

 in his dominions. 



The Rook may claim the doubtful honor of having originated two of the most pertinacious 

 and persistent ornithological controversies on record. The subject of the first is its conduct 

 towards man — whether it is to be looked upon as a feathered benefactor, or must be ranked 

 among the "vermin." This dispute has now been carried on for many years, and finds as 

 many and as eager advocates on both sides of the question as on the day on which it was 

 started. The second controversy is quite as fierce as the former, and has lately revived with 

 tenfold vigor, the subject being the cause and effect of the naked white skin which is found at 

 the base of the Rook's beak. Before proceeding further, we will just say a word or two on 

 these interesting discussions. 



Firstly, as to the relation in which the Rook stands to mankind with regard to its conduct. 

 It is thought by many persons of practical experience that the Rook is one of the greatest 

 enemies to the farmer, eating up his grain as soon as planted, pecking up his potatoes and 

 devouring all the " sets," boring holes in his turnips, and altogether doing exceeding mischief 

 in the fields. The farmer, therefore, detests the "blackening train" of Rooks witli a very 

 heartfelt hatred, and endeavors by all kinds of contrivances, such as scarecrows, boys with 

 noisy clappers, and loud voices, or even the gibbeted dead bodies of slaughtered Rooks, 

 to keep them off his grounds. Whenever he can find a chance he shoots them, but the bird is 

 so cautious that very few Rooks fall victims to the agricultural gun. The gamekeepers 

 also hate the Rook as a persecutor of their charge, and in truth the Rooks have been actually 

 seen engaged in the destruction of young partridges, and one of them was shot with the prey 

 still in its beak. 



Moi-eover, the Rook has been seen to attack a hen pheasant while sitting on her eggs, 

 to pull the feathers out of the mother bird, and to destroy her eggs, having evidently been 

 attracted to the spot by the large bunch of hay-grass amid which the nest had been placed, 

 and which had been left standing by the mowers in order to afford a shelter to the poor bird. 



So much for the one side of the question ; we mil now proceed to view the Rook from a 

 more favorable point of view. 



