56 



POUCH OF THE ROOK. 



insects in their mouth, and they confine them there? 

 without letting them go down the throat. 



By this process, a rook is enabled to pick up a 

 sufficient supply of food, some miles from the nest ; 

 and when its mouth will hold no more insects, the 

 bird takes flight, and carries them to its expecting 

 brood. The carrion crow, the jay, the magpie, 

 and the jackdaw do the same thing precisely. 

 Now; the gathered insects, being prevented from 

 descending into the stomach, and at the same time 

 not being able to escape at the bill, must necessa- 

 rily form a lump under the lower mandible, where 

 the skin, in all birds, is admirably formed for dis- 

 tension. This lump is what has given rise to the 

 notion among naturalists, that the rook is furnished 

 with a pouch at the root of the tongue. If this 

 pouch be allowed in the rook, then it must be 

 admitted that all birds are furnished with a pouch ; 

 and it must also be admitted that our tars are fur- 

 nished with a pouch betwixt the mouth and the ear, 

 because, for convenience sake, they stow away their 

 quid in that quarter. 



It may be easily accounted for, why ornithologists 

 make no mention of a pouch under the tongue of 

 the jay, the jackdaw, the magpie, and the carrion 

 crow, while they describe, with such plausibility, a 

 pouch at the root of the tongue of the rook. The 

 reason is this, — the rook, in general, is the friend of 

 man, and, in the breeding season, he becomes so 

 tame that he may be approached within a few yards* 

 This gives you a fine opportunity of observing the 



