122 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[August 9, 1864. 



to it, which I do not think any other bird has. I will give 

 a proof of this. A pair of newly-wedded rooks are building 

 their first nest, they have chosen the site, they have worked 

 hard, and now in the joy of their hearts they go out to- 

 gether for a little relaxation, or, perchance, to some one of 

 Nature's upholstery shops to get some last furnishing for 

 their house. Clear out of sight, a pilfering rook comes, a 

 thief who to save himself labour (Oh ! the idle scamp !) be- 

 gins to appropriate to his own use the materials of this nest. 

 At it he goes, love of mischief makes him for this once in- 

 dustrious, and before the rightful owners return his work 

 is over and he is sitting on a bough near by giving a few com- 

 placent caws in the sunshine, looking according to man's 

 judgment as innocent as innocent can be. Young Mr. and 

 Mrs. Rook are returning. On they come, the young husband 

 eyeing fondly his wife, who will to-morrow be the happy guar- 

 dian of her first egg — when, oh ! the uncertainty of sub- 

 lunary happiness ! they see their nice new nest sorely damaged 

 if not destroyed. Now what do they do ? They at one glance 

 know who is the offender, "That's he," say they; they seem 

 to know him because his conscience or something akin to it 

 makes him look guilty. " Conscience does make cowards of 

 us all," rooks as well as men. At him they go, they buffet 

 him and beat him while the poor conscience-stricken coward 

 utters a peculiar scream and does not offer to fight' — he 

 has not the heart to fight, his conscience makes him power- 

 less. 



Then, again, about rooks. They walk, and with what 

 dignity they walk ! See a number of them on a grass field 

 in the spring, how solemn and imposing is their gait ! I have 

 a theory that every bird that walks is possessed of inherent 

 dignity, while a bird that hops has no dignity at all. Even 

 in the extreme case of the smallest British bird that walks — 

 viz., the wagtail, how charmingly he pit-pats along ! If he 

 would but abstain from wagging his tail, so belying his name, 

 even that little fellow, tiny as he is, would not be wholly free 

 from dignity; even as it is he looks very superior to the 

 hopping sparrow beside him. 



To speak of the wonderful knowledge of rooks is to speak 

 of what everybody knows. Thus, how exactly they find the 

 spot under which the grub lies, not by ear, so, at least, I 

 think). In this respect they are unlike the blackbird, but 

 the eye guides them, they notice the discolouration of the 

 herbage. Indeed, I am inclined to believe that the eye is 

 especially the rook's organ; one glance given, then they dig 

 and dig, and lo ! the grub is found. As the rooks come 

 sailing leisurely over my garden on their way to and from 

 the adjacent rookery, I often have a bit of fun with them. 

 Thus, I see an old bird coming solemnly on, slowly, quietly 

 flying as becomes a dignified rook of many years and much 

 experience. When within shot I raise my walking-stick 

 gun-wise to my shoulder, but I cause no commotion — old 

 birds are not to be frightened with sticks ; not the least 

 change in his course does my friend make, one little pitying 

 glance at me, and in bird language some remark of this 

 kind : — " Only to think that the rector should take me for 

 such a fool as to care about a walking-stick ! " Then, pre- 

 sently, my gentleman comes back, and I now have my gun, 

 and the moment I raise it, then instanter the rook changes 

 his course, whirling away from me with another thought in 

 his mind, which I may thus express — "Hollo, Mr. Rector, 

 it's no nonsense this time I see ; so good-bye to you and your 

 horrid gun." 



As to the plumage of rooks, what a fine, smooth, bright 

 suit of black these my brethren always wear ! I should not 

 wonder if they chaff at and despise me when I have my old 

 studying coat on, for it is with them " Sunday's best" all 

 the year round. 



I think Shakespeare somewhere says — 



11 The raven rook'd her on the chimney-top ; " 



and busy commentators tell us that the old verb " to rook," 

 means " to squat down," but I differ from them. Doubtless, 

 the bard of Avon meant that that ungainly fowl, the raven, 

 tried to look like a rook, or to adopt his genteeler ways. 

 The verb " to rook " does mean, we all know, " to rob," and, 

 as I have shown, some rooks deserve the title of " robbers." 

 And now good-bye to rooks. Te who possess a rookery, 

 blessed people ! shoot a good number of young ones each 

 spring. Send presents of them to your friends, and " every 



one is a friend to a giver of gifts." In regard to those you 

 keep for your own share, order the cook to skin each one 

 and take out his backbone, command her not to be too 

 stingy either with beefsteak or hard-boiled eggs, and then 

 cold or hot (I prefer the former), eat your pie, first saying a 

 grateful grace. — Wiltshire Rectob. 



Piscatorial. — Our attention was called this week to an 

 eel, at what is called the " Loan Well," at Draffan, it being 

 considered ninety years of age. Mr. Wm. Harvie, Mr. 

 Wm. • Pettigre w, and Mr. John Sommerville, vouch for the 

 authenticity of this fact. Mr. Harvie, as the oldest inhabi- 

 tant, recollects of every yearly cleansing of the well when 

 " Methuselah " was duly put into the pail till the spring 

 gave him his usual element. There is also another of forty 

 years. The patriarch was nearly blind when last handled 

 by Mr. Francis Clelland at the last cleansing. 



Ornithology. — There is at present to be seen at Miss 

 Gibb's, Auchinheath, a hybrid between the Duck and Hen 

 species, consisting of a Duck in body with Hen legs — three- 

 clawed toes and spurs — out of a sitting of six. When it 

 takes the water, along with brothers and sisters, it will then 

 be seen how its propelling propensity will take effect with- 

 out the web feet. The old one is at present watching her 

 flock round and round the nearest pool with a maternal 

 care. We believe this is considered to be the wonder of the 

 day in this locality. — (Hamilton Advertiser, July 30.) 



A Monster Reptile. — The " Geological Magazine " states 

 that Mr. E. Hartsinock, of Charmouth, has recently obtained 

 the most perfect Plesiosaurus ever discovered upon the Dor- 

 setshire coast. It was found between Charmouth and Lyme 

 Regis in a bed of marl, intercalated between two of the upper, 

 most beds of the lower lias limestone. The specimen, 

 13 feet in length, exhibits the entire dorsal view of the 

 skeleton, with very few bones displaced. The great perfec- 

 tion of the specimen lies in the completeness of the four 

 limbs or paddles, of which not only are nearly all the nume- 

 rous bones preserved, but they are all, excepting a few of 

 the ultimate small ones, perfectly undisturbed from their 

 original arrangement and relative position. It is gratifying 

 to learn that this magnificent Enaliossaurian relic makes an 

 addition to our knowledge of the liassie fauna, as it is a new 

 species of the genus, differing in important points from 

 those hitherto knowa. This specimen has now been pur- 

 chased by the authorities of the British Museum, and will 

 shortly be described by Professor Owen. 



OUE LETTER BOX. 



Age of Rabbits (H. M.). — Very young Rabbits may be known by the 

 woolly appearance of their fur ; at) they Ret older their coats become more 

 hairy and glossy. When they attain maturity it may be known by the 

 dewlap, which increases for some time afterwards. Advancing yearsraay be 

 known by the length of claws, roughened coat, the projection of the hip 

 bones, and haggard countenance. 



Young Tumbler Pigeons Dying [S. B.).— It is almost impossible to say 

 why your young Pigeons die nn'ess you give some better account of their 

 symptoms. Are the old birds too nearly related 1 as that will induce weak- 

 ness, and proneness to disease in the young. If the old ones neglect them 

 f«ed on less stimulating food, as they may be too fat f and consequently idle 

 and careless of their offspring. Wheat is very good as a mixture for the 

 old to feed the young with, but small old beans hre better food for a con- 

 tinuance. Buckwheat Is also a good change, and lentils are very nourishing. 

 If the young die Irom diarrhoea, feed on beans and nome rice. I suppose 

 the Pigeons have access to gravel, lime, and salt. — B. P. Brest. 



Poultry Chronicle (A Constant Reader.).— The Poultry Chronicle wa& 

 incorporated wUh this Journal some years ago. 



LONDON MARKETS.— August 8. 

 POULTRY. 



There is now a full 6upply of all eorta of poultry, and tho traiie falls off 

 daily, and we may now look for nominal quut.it urns while London is out of 

 town. 



s. d. s. d. 



Fowls 2 6 to 3 



Smaller do 2 „ 2 3 



Chickens 1 6 „ 1 9 



Gotdiugs 5 „ 5 6 





9. d. s. d. 





2 „ 2 3 





1 4 „ 1 5 



Wild do 



fl .. 10 





