Manners,. 



C R a W. 373 



by the good done him in extirpating the Maggot of the Chafer- 

 beetle, which in fome feafons deftroys whole crops of corn, by 

 feeding on the roots.. 



This is a gregarious bird; fometimes being feen in immenfe 

 flocks, fo as to almoft darken the air in their flight ; which they 

 regularly perform morning and evening, .except in breeding-time, 

 when the daily attendance of both male and female is required for 

 the ufe of incubation, or feeding the young ; for it is obferved that: 

 they do both by turns. As thefe birds are apt to form themfelves 

 into focieties, fuch places as they frequent during the breeding- 

 time are called rookeries; and they generally choofe a large clump 

 of the talleft trees for this purpofe j but make fo great a litter, 

 and fuch a perpetual chatter, that nothing but habit, and a length 

 of time, can reconcile one to the noife. The eggs are like thofe 

 of Crows, but lefs,.and the fpots larger. They begin to build in 

 March, and after the breeding- feafon forfake their neft trees, go- 

 ing to rooft elfewhere, but have been obferved to return to them- 

 in Auguft : in Oclober they repair their nefts *. 



In England they remain the whole year; yet we are told that 

 both in France and Silefia they are birds of pafTage f . Whether- 

 they migrate or not in Sweden, we are. not told ; but Linnaus talks 

 of their building there J. The young birds are accounted good, 

 eating, efpecially if fkinned, and put in a pie. 



* 2?r»ZW,i. p. 22z. t Hifttduei/.m. p. 59* J Faun.Suec. p. 30. 



Qonrus 



