180 Rooks and Rookeries. By James Small. 



Mr G. McDougal, Blyth, Lammermoors : 



*' Feed on worms, grub, &c. wlien at hand, after that, com in the" hard 

 state and barley when sprouting, then potatoes and turnip bulbs lastly. In 

 winter do a great deal of damage to turnips and young clover. Take eggs of 

 other birds if exposed. Have known them kill very young hares, and take 

 the eyes out of weakly lambs before they were dead ; but they wont attack 

 strong lambs." 



Mr A. M. Caverliill, Oriclmess, Lammermoor : 



Writes that they are destructive to oat and barley stacks in frosty weather, 

 and also to clover and eggs and occasionally the young of game birds, and 

 •' they do pick out an eye of a lamb occasionally." 



NOETHUMBERLAND. 



Mr M. H. Band, Hauxley Cottage : 



" I believe them to be omnivorous. Do not know that they really injure 

 clover." 



Mr A. H. Evans, Scremerston Yicarage : 



" Eat larvfB, worms, and grubs of aU sorts. Have never known them eat 

 bulbs of turnips or clover. 



The late Mr E. Hodgson-Huntley of Carham Hall : 



" Eat grubs, corn, turnips, potatoes, beans, and also undoubtedly destroy 

 eggs of partridges and pheasants and the youg birds. They are often caught 

 here in traps set for vermin and baited with eggs, rabbits' intestines, &c. 



Mr T. Elliott, keeper, Lilburn Tower : 



" I have frequently shot rooks carrying ofi eggs of game birds and young 

 tame pheasants. Hundreds of pheasant ^and partridge eggs are annually 

 destroyed here by rooks. They, also eat turnips in hard weather. They have 

 carried off both young chickens and young ducks from the chicken yard. 

 They are more ravenous in dry weather when little grub, &c. can be found 

 for their young." 



Mr E. Bold, Long Benton, Newcastle : 



" Eat grubs, snails, and worms. Never saw them destroy root crops. In 

 dry weather seen them pull up potato sets to get grubs." 



Eev. J. F. Bigge, Stamfordham Vicarage : 



' ' They principally live on worms, wireworms, grubs. Talking to a farmer 

 one day, he said ' ' see how the crows are eating the barley " (on the stooks). I 

 said "oh no," and having my gun I immediately shot two in his presence, 

 and cut up their crops. There was not one grain of barley present but a 

 large quantity of grubs, &c. I do not think they touch turnips or clover. I 

 know they eat duck eggs." Mr Bigge' s friend, 



Mr Eidley writes as follows : 



" Eat grubs, corn, potatoes, turnips, carrion. Do not eat clover. Prey on 

 eggs of all kinds. This has only been observed of late years — 10 or 15 years.'' 



Eev. F. E. Simpson, North Sunderland Vicarage : 



" Their chief and choicest food is insects when they can get them. They 

 are innocent of turnips or clover in this neighbourhood, and also of eggs or 

 young of game or other birds. They are never on turnip fields, and if on 



