j 58 [Proc. B.N.F.C., 



as insects and grubs. This is the essence of the evidence 

 extracted from the gizzards of 336 Rooks shot at intervals all the 

 year round. Grain and husk are oftener met with in Rooks than 

 in graminivorous Pigeons in the proportion of 58 to 33 ; cereal 

 grain and husk are not only more common than cereal grains in 

 Wood-Pigeons, but in frequency they exceed all the cereal grain, 

 all the fruits, and all the seeds found in Pigeons when put 

 together. Surely this is exceeding strange. Surely this is a 

 hitherto untaught lesson, for the Rook has been regarded simply 

 as an insectivore, not as a grain consumer. The great lesson to 

 be learned here is this, that 58 per cent, of the Rook's food is 

 grain. 



The insects and grubs found in the Rooks were, many kinds 

 of small ground-beetles, wire-worm grubs, daddy-long-legs grubs, 

 etc., etc. The ground beetles are considered useful to agriculture ; 

 and when destroying these, the Rooks must be regarded as acting 

 in opposition to the interests of the farmer. On the other hand, 

 when taking grubs, the birds may be fairly looked upon in the 

 light of farmers' friends and benefactors. We now proceed to 

 square accounts with the Rook on the score of insects and grubs. 

 We find in the Rooks examined that insects were taken 75 times 

 during the year, and grubs were only taken 26 times. The insects 

 were chiefly useful ground-beetles, and so the extent to which this 

 was done can scarcely be considered as counterbalanced by the 

 grub consumption. 



Potato was taken by the birds in early year from the sets, 

 and in late year from the pits ; this food was 7 per cent, of the 

 whole. The miscellaneous contents varied from artificial food 

 stuffs (19 times) to grass leaf (one time). The only crops used by 

 Rooks as food are barley, oat, wheat, rye, and potato. 



One advantage of the Rook is that he does not interfere at 

 all with leaf crops such as clover ; however, the Wood Pigeon has 

 it as a weed destroyer. 



