1908-1909.] 



i6 7 



3 beans. If the number of meals taken during seed-time be multi- 

 plied by the number of birds, and this by the weight of each meal 

 — say two ounces of grain or 53 beans — it becomes perfectly clear 

 that the total loss to the farmers must be enormous. It is only in 

 June and July that the Wood-Pigeon does any service as a weed 

 destroyer, but the result of this careful investigation shows that 

 his consumption of clover and grain far outweighs any benefit he 

 may effect. 



Now take the Rook. 355 were shot during the year. 19 

 were empty, so that the conclusions are drawn from the contents 

 of 336 Rooks — an average of 28 per month. All the contents of 

 Rooks may be conveniently arranged in four groups. 



1. Cereal grains and grain husks. 



2. Insects and Grubs. 



3. Roots (Potatoes). 



4. Miscellaneous. 



Here are the figures actually found, and for the purposes of 

 comparison, I place alongside the corresponding per centages of 

 Wood-Pigeon food. 



FOOD-STUFF. 



ROOK. 



No. of times 

 taken. 



Per cent. 



PIGEON. 

 Per cent. No. 

 of times taken 



Cereal grain and husk 



290 



58 



33 



Insects, grubs, &c. ... 



116 



2 3 







Miscellaneous 



60 



12 







Roots 



• 36 



7 



8.5 



Leaves 











27-5 



Flowers 











8 



Fruits and seeds, not cereals 











2 3 



These figures show that at least three-fourths of the Rook 

 food (81 per cent.) is cereal grain and husk, with insect and grub ; 

 also that grain and husk are at least twice as frequently met with 



