198 CORVID.E. 



regale upon the fruit of the Crowberry (Empetrum ni- 

 grum). 



Throughout England, with little exception, the Rook is 

 well known, frequenting cultivated districts for the sake of 

 the innumerable larvse that are to be found beneath the soil ; 

 also pasture lands, which in some counties are of vast extent. 

 In these the persevering Rook penetrates with its strong- 

 horny beak, in order to discover the hidden larvae of various 

 kinds of beetles, and other insects, whose ravages without 

 such indefatiguable persecutors would eventually destroy the 

 verdure of the surface by attacking and injuring the root. 

 So sagacious are the Rooks in search of these hidden enemies 

 that they can distinguish those plants that are attacked, 

 and by plucking them up, remove and devour the grub ; 

 by this process a grass field, although it presents for a short 

 time an unsightly and ragged appearance, by being strewed 

 with tufts of withered grass, becomes rid of many powerful 

 and unseen enemies, which without the timely interposition of 

 these friends of the farmer would have destroyed its verdure 

 irremediably. 



The utility of the Rook was formerly little understood, and 

 in some districts it was proportionally persecuted : but the 

 observations in later times of clearsighted and experimental 

 farmers have been so decidedly favourable to the character 

 of this species, that it is now generally cherished as a 

 valuable auxiliary and friend ; and the occasional mischief 

 perpetrated by it is overlooked in consideration of its general 

 utility. In some few districts, however, the ancient 

 prejudice against these birds still prevails : in the Isle 

 of Wight, says the Rev. C. Bury, the Rook is abun- 

 dant, "but would be still more so if the farmers knew its 

 value." 



To continue our enumeration of the countries and districts 

 frequented by this species we may add that they are not 



