Roohs and Rookeries. By James Smaii. 183 



Mr Henry Elliot, Greenriver : 



" Grub and grain. In a snowstorm, turnips. No clover." 



Dr. J. Eobson Scott, BeKord, Yetholm : 



" Feed chiefly on worms and slugs, and eat every kind of carrion. Eat 

 com, especially barley after it is sprung, and also fond of potatoes in the 

 same state ; turnips in winter, but not clover." 



SELKIEKSHIRE. 

 Mr Adam Brydon, Netherbarns; Mr Walter Elliot, HoUybush. ; 

 Mr Jobn Eiddell, Eink; Mr William Lyal, Caddonlee ; Mr Eobt. 

 Hall, Kilknowe ; 



All report that rooks are most destructive to turnips, and they are losers to 

 a very considerable extent whenever a keen frost sets in, because then the 

 birds in countless numbers attack the bulbs, and eat or destroy them. Mr 

 EUiot adds : *' 1 am of opinion that rooks in moderate numbers do more good 

 than harm ; but of late years they have got so numerous that the injury they 

 do to farmers is incalculable. Grubs are their natural food, but the country 

 being so much overstocked the birds eat every thing they can get. I have 

 also seen them lift eggs and fly ofi with them ; and they pick out the eyes 

 now and then of weakly lambs. They work very long hours." 



The late Mr James Kerss, keeper, Bowbill : 



*' Rooks will feed on all kinds of grain, but only on bulbs of turnips in 

 very hard weather. They pull up clover only in autumn, to get at grubs. 

 They eat eggs of game." 



The late Major Plummer of Sunderland Hall : 



" They eat the bulbs of turnips. I have seen quantities of undigested tur- 

 nips under the trees in our rookery They also eat eggs, but I do not think 

 they trouble young birds or lambs. After the destruction of the rookery at 

 Traquair, the neighbouring farmers complained that the crops were much 

 injured by slugs, &c." 



PEEBLESSHIRE. 



Mr W. L. Black of Kailzie, Peebles : 



" The rook will eat almost anything, but their natural food is grubs, 

 worms, and such like. When the young are in the nest they appear to be fed 

 on eggs when they can be found, which the parent birds carry to them in 

 their throats. The rook appears to carry the egg to a distance and then suck 

 it, as I have seldom seen the shells near the nests, and never under the trees 

 in the rookery. They do some injury to turnips clover, and potatoes." 



Mr Colin J. Mackenzie of Portmore : 



" Besides the ordinary food of rooks, such as worms, grub, &c., I have seen 

 them greedily picking the bulbs of turnips ; and only to-day I watched a 

 number of them hammering away at some of my own turnips. I have from 

 personal observation known them eat the eggs of pheasants, partridges, and 

 grouse.'' 



Mr James Potts, Kingsmeadows, Peebles : 



" They destroy a deal of bulbs of turnips. They have taken only weakly 

 young pheasants of my rearing ; but they take lots of eggs." 



