Birds. 2561 



Carrion Crow {Corvus corone). After floods have occurred on the 

 Trent, a pair or two may generally be seen feasting upon the remains 

 of half-decomposed dead animals which the current brings down, and 

 also upon the refuse which it washes from towns. 



Hooded Crow {Corvus comix). A rare and irregular visitant, but 

 occasionally seen on the wing. 



Rook {Corvus frugilegus). Much has been said and more written 

 upon the merits and demerits of the rook ; but it is evident, since more 

 attention has been paid to his habits, that a better feeling is now 

 springing up in his favour. Even many agriculturists now acknow- 

 ledge that " he does as much good as harm," and a few go a step 

 further and say '• he does more good than harm." The worst points 

 which I have discovered here in the rook's character, are these : — in 

 April and May he lives much about corn-fields and arable lands, and 

 is accused of stubbing up the springing blades of barley, oats, &c. to 

 get at the grain, which, not composing part of his general food, be- 

 comes more palatable by having been swollen in the ground. If 

 pressed for food he will, no doubt, take hard corn. Towards June 

 and July he frequents cabbage and potato-fields, pulling up the po- 

 tato plants, and pillaging the young soft potatoes just forming at the 

 roots. In the autumn, too, he visits walnut-trees, and will commit se- 

 rious damage to the fruit in a short time, if not prevented. They 

 come in flocks, settle on the tops of the trees, and twisting off the wal- 

 nuts, carry them away to some neighbouring field, thrust open 

 the shells with their bills, and quickly reach the kernel. He some- 

 times too repairs in winter to our turnip-fields and digs holes in the 

 bulbs, but not to any serious extent. On the contrary, however, the 

 rook has many excellent habits, and the amount of enemies to 

 our growing crops, which he consumes, is really enormous. If we 

 follow him to arable lands, where the ploughman is turning up fresh 

 moist mould, we shall find him displaying a familiarity almost incre- 

 dible in a bird of his usually cautious disposition. He follows the 

 teams up and down every furrow, keeping close to the plough-tail, and 

 exhibiting the greatest anxiety to be nearest the ploughman, to have 

 the first chance with the newly turned up worm or chrysalis. On 

 early summer mornings too, tracing him to the meadow-lands, we find 

 him equally well employed, breakfasting on the grubs and earth- 

 worms which the dews and moisture have induced to come forth. I 

 could fill many pages of this work with instances of the utility of the 

 rook, but the bird requires watching, in order that a farmer may take 

 advantage of his habits. H, after sowing fields of corn, the bird-boy 



