KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



19 



inclined to the opinion, that some private 

 concerns of their own had brought them 

 together. The chattering was incessant, 

 and when disturbed, and under the necessity 

 of beating a retreat, they flew nearly in the 

 same direction, as if disposed to adjourn 

 their meeting to a more retired spot, than 

 with a view to break it up. 



A singular habit, somewhat similar, little 

 known or noticed, though uncommon, pre- 

 vails also among starlings. If carefully 

 watched, they may be seen occasionally to 

 alight in a regular circular form. A nume- 

 rous flock was once seen to divide itself into 

 two companies, each forming a distinct 

 circle. If undisturbed, they will remain a 

 considerable time in the same place, uttering 

 the same twittering note upon the ground, 

 as when perched on trees or reeds. This 

 habit is usually observable in pastures ; 

 sometimes, though rarely, in stubble-fields ; 

 but never upon fallow or new-ploughed 

 land. 



We have pointed out some of the broad 

 marks of distinction between the crow and 

 the rook, as far as relates to their food and 

 habits : a slight reference to the personal 

 difference between them will be sufficient. 

 The beak of the crow is more bent and 

 rather stronger, and is never without the 

 bristly feathers that cover the base and the 

 nostrils, as is the case with the rook, whose 

 beak, when of full growth, is easily distin- 

 guished by the naked and scurfy white skin 

 at its base and on the chin, produced, as 

 some naturalists assert, by the bristles being 

 rubbed off, owing to its constantly thrusting 

 its bill deep into the soil, in search of worms 

 and insects. We feel, however, much in- 

 clined to doubt this, and would rather attri- 

 bute this nakedness to the base of the bill, 

 to an original and natural peculiarity. It has 

 been well argued, in favor of the former 

 opinion, that a specimen was killed whose 

 beak was much longer than usual, and the 

 extremities of which were not only much 

 curved, but actually crossed, like a cross- 

 bill's, and that the base of the beak of this 

 bird, from an impossibility of its being 

 thrust into the ground, was clothed with a 

 full plumage of bristles, and not bare like 

 those of other rooks. On the other hand, it 

 has been urged, that if these bristles were 

 worn down by being thrust into the ground, 

 they would be renewed, like other feathers, 

 at the regular moulting-time ; and, further, 

 as all new feathers are full of blood at the 

 roots, any application tending to grind them 

 down, would be so painful to the rook, that 

 it would be very unwilling, if indeed able, to 

 thrust its beak into the ground ; and again, 

 — which we consider as a still stronger 

 argument — it may be asked, if the rook's 

 bristles are destroyed by this process, how 



comes it that the jackdaw, jay, and magpie, 

 and some other birds, retain them, though as 

 constantly thrusting their beaks into the 

 ground, in search of worms, as the rooks? 



When viewed together, a further distinc- 

 tion will be seen between the rook and the 

 common crow, in the glossy colors of their 

 plumage ; that of the rook being more in- 

 clined to a rich purple, whereas that of the 

 crow is of a greenish blue. There is one 

 other supposed distinctive mark, which we 

 shall mention, merely because we believe it 

 does not exist — namely, that the rook has a 

 pouch under its chin, in which it can carry a 

 full supply of food for its young. 



"'It is perfectly true," says Dr. Stanley, 

 " that rooks appear to have such an append- 

 age ; in the spring-time, it is particu- 

 larly conspicuous, when they may be seen 

 flying with a swelling under the throat, of 

 the size of a pigeon's egg ; but closer ob- 

 servers have discovered that in the crow, 

 jackdaw, &c, there is the same elasticity 

 and pliability of the skin ; and that they not 

 only can, but do often take in a provision of 

 food, which swells the upper part of the 

 throat out to a considerable size ; though, 

 owing to the grey color of the rook's chin, 

 this swelling is more apparent." 



POPULAR DISCUSSIONS. 



THE BOOKSELLERS.— No. III. 



We have found little 

 posing of the " Cheap 



difficulty in dis- 

 Booksellers ;" of 

 Retail Booksellers ; and of Authors. We 

 have chronicled their doings, their mis- 

 doings, their hopes, their fears, and their 

 final doom, — to many, disappointment ; 

 perhaps something worse. 



We have now only to perform the promise 

 we gave with respect to the wholesale Book- 

 sellers' " liberality." It has been said, that if 

 all profit be withholden from the retail 

 dealer, and all new books be sold by their 

 publishers or their servants over the counter, 

 the Public will be thereby benefited. The 

 benefit, it is said, will be the exact difference 

 formerly made by the publisher to the retail 

 dealer. For instance, — if one of the " large 

 houses " published a book at 6s., and charged 

 a dealer 4s. 6d. for it (making him thereby 

 an allowance of 25 per cent.), it is imagined 

 that the said establishments would, under 

 the proposed new arrangements, now issue 

 the same book to the Public at 4s. 6d., and 

 let them have the benefit ! This is a huge 

 fallacy. We can hardly write seriously 

 about it. 



The wholesale booksellers have talked 

 very largely of late ; and have endeavored 

 to make the Public believe that they are 

 deeply anxious to protect the fair-dealing 



