Practical Game-Preserving. 376 



It would serve no useful purpose to discuss the never- 

 ending question of the rook and its food ; its value to the 

 agriculturist, or its effect upon the interests of the game- 

 preserver. I am quite content to dispose of the first matter 

 with the remark that it is possible to have too many rooks, 

 and the latter with the statement that it is impossible to 

 have too few. If there be any preservers desirous or 

 willing to exclude the rook from their list of vermin, by all 

 means should they be allowed to do so. Personally, I 

 prefer to count it in with the others, and deal with it 

 accordingly. 



No one should say that the rook never touches game. On 

 the contrary, the rook has a decided taste for young 

 rabbits and game-birds not quite so pronounced perhaps 

 as the crow, but sufficient to keep it active in search of 

 such young birds and ground-game as may be obtainable. 

 Far from being rare, it is a very common occurrence for 

 young furred and feathered game to fall victims to the 

 rapacity of the frugivorous crow. I have so full a know- 

 ledge of this that I simply cannot accept statements, made 

 by those who pretend to know, concerning the utter harm- 

 lessness of the rook in respect to game. 



The rook is very destructive during nesting-time to 

 partridges and pheasants, and its name must be added to 

 the list of birds and other animals at all times eager, 

 when the chance offers, to despoil their nests and feast upon 

 the eggs. Not that the rook is, as a rule, a determined 

 searcher after them, although this exceptional conduct 

 sometimes occurs ; but it takes them when, whilst in search 

 of other food, it discovers a nest. The one accidental 

 crime leads to another until the habit becomes ingrained 

 in the bird, and spreads from one member of the family to 

 another. The same thing occurs as regards chicks, young 

 birds, rabbits, and leverets, until at the finish you find 



