BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 127 
carried on in two of our local newspapers in 1899, between 
one of our best Scottish field-naturalists, and an eminent 
light of the Scotch Kirk (though perhaps not less famous as 
one of our greatest authorities on agriculture). The letters 
and their repHes at times grew almost acrimonious, but 
left the matter in statu quo, and I should be sorry 
to say more than repeat Mr. Fred. V. Theobald's 
judgment on the species, which I have already quoted. 
Mr. R. Service deprecates the idea that the Rooks 
should be exterminated. They should be scared off 
the fields — and gamekeepers should protect themselves. 
Certainly the occupation of " crow-herding " has become 
a dead art.* 
"The years 1830-1835 mark the maximum of the 
Rook population in these south-western counties (i.e., 
Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbright and Dumfriesshire). The 
rookeries then round old ancestral homes were a source 
of pride and satisfaction to their owners."! ^ut the out- 
cry against the species had already begun ; for we read in 
1826, " The enhghtened proprietor of Dalswinton destroys 
Rooks on his property. In the following year a petition 
signed by one hundred and more farmers was presented to 
the gentry craving them to put down Rooks.§ In 1838 
James Stuart Menteath of Closeburn pubHshed a pamphlet,|| 
in which he deplored the proposed extermination of every 
rookery in South Ayrshire ; on February 14th, 1844, the 
" Anti-Rook Society " met at Dumfries, resolved to destroy 
as many Rooks as possible, and inter alia fifty rookeries 
were to be destroyed, and a Committee was appointed to 
carry out the above intention in conjunction with the 
proprietors, who seem to have acquiesced in the resolutions 
* Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, March 20th, 1908. 
t Kirkcudbright Advertiser, April 6th, 1899. 
t Dumfries Courier, May 23rd, 1826. 
§ Op. cit.. May 8th, 1827. 
II Farmers versus Rooks, 1838. 
