•868 



The Rook. 



[Dec, 



THE ROOK: 



ITS RELATION TO THE FARMER, FRUIT GROWER 

 AND FORESTER. 



Waltek E. Collinge, D.Sc, F.L.S., 



The University of St. Andrews. 



During the past few years farmers, fruit growers and others 

 engaged in the cultivation of the land have shown an increased 

 interest in the subject of the relation of our various species of 

 wild birds to their calling. 



Previously, the attitude of the majority of farmers and fruit 

 growers was one of general condemnation. Upon the most 

 untrustworthy and trivial evidence first one species and then 

 another has been denounced. Many people, however, are no 

 longer willing to accept the opinions of extremists, who either 

 state that all birds are injurious and should therefore be 

 destroyed, or that all birds are beneficial — " farmers' 

 friends " — and should be preserved. All such extreme views 

 obviously contain only a modicum of the truth, and there is 

 a growing tendency, as the result of scientific investigation, to 

 accept the opinion that a few species of wild birds in this 

 country are injurious, but that the majority constitute a natural 

 force of incalculable value to the agriculturist . and 'the nation 

 in general. 



In view of this more thoughtful consideration of so important 

 a subject it is extremely desirable that the farmer, fruit grower 

 and forester should be able to obtain authoritative and trust- 

 worthy information respecting the various species of wild birds 

 that protect his crops, and of those that destroy or are 

 injurious to them.* Further, if that information is to be of 

 any use, it must be presented in such a form that it will be 

 at once capable of interpretation and illustration, and, more- 

 over, open to only one interpretation. 



The importance of estimating the food content of birds by 

 accurate methods needs to be emphasised, as if the method ia 

 faulty, it follows that incorrect results will be obtained. 



Hitherto, in this country, most of the work on this subject 

 has been based upon what is known as the numerical method, 

 i.e., the various items of food found in the stomach and crop 

 have been counted, tabulated and grouped under three headings, 

 as to whether the food eaten constitutes an injury or a benefit 

 to agriculture, or is of a neutral character. 



