38o 



British Cage Birds. 



pigs' liver or lungs. At the age of six weeks they may be 

 treated as adult birds. 



DiSTiNGUiSHiNa Marks of Cock and Hen. — The male birds 

 are bolder, more sleek in form, and erect in carriage, than the 

 females ; they are also more intense and brilliant in the colour 

 of their plumage, and possess in a much greater degree the 

 iridescent reflections of green, purple, &c., about the neck and 

 shoulder. The voice of the male bird is more powerful and 

 emphatic than that of the female. In other respects the 

 sexes bear a striking resemblance to each other. 



Song. — The Rook is not endowed with any musical abilities, 

 its only gift in this direction being the utterance of the almost 

 incessant "Khra" and '*Oaw," in various modulations of voice. 

 Shepherds profess to tell the weather by the manner of flight 

 and the call note of these birds. 



Points to be Observed in Judging. — The Rook cannot 

 be considered a show bird. If, however, it be desired to 

 exhibit one, select a sleek, well-formed bird, majestic in 

 carriage, closely feathered, in good condition, and free 

 from dirt. 



General Remarks. — The Rook is not a cage bird, but may 

 be kept with poultry in a fenced inclosure, or be permitted to 

 run about the yard with its wings clipped. It is a useful 

 bird to keep in an inclosed kitchen garden, and, although its 

 naturally mischievous disposition causes it at times to commit 

 sundry depredations, it more than compensates for this failing 

 by the great zeal it unquestionably displays in destroying 

 beetles and other insects that commit ravages on vegetables 

 and other garden products. 



Diseases and their Treatment. — ^Rooks are hardy, long- 

 lived birds, and seldom suffer from disease. They are much 

 plagued with vermin, and should be given a bath made with 

 rain water in which a piece of alum and salt has been dissolved. 

 They sometimes suffer from skin disease when fed too liberally 

 on stimulating food ; to remedy this, change their diet entirely. 



