38 
bird, in attempting to fly towards his nest, 
dropped into the river and was drowned, 
amidst the moans of his whole fraternity." 
Besides insects, Rooks feed on different 
kinds of grain, thus causing some incon- 
venience to the farmer; but this seems 
greatly repaid by the good they do to him, 
in extirpating the maggots of the most de- 
structive of the beetle tribe, amongst 
which may be particularly reckoned the 
grub of the cock-chafer and dor-beetle. 
The wire-worm also appears to be one of 
the favourite articles of their food. The 
farmer therefore will find it his interest to 
encourage the breed of Rooks, rather than 
destroy them, as the means of best freeing 
his lands from these most formidable 
enemies to the roots of corn and grass. 
The Rook is a native of most of the 
European regions. In England it remains 
during the whole year; but both in Prance 
and Silesia migrates. It is a singular 
circumstance, that the Island of Jersey 
should be entirely without Rooks: parti- 
cularly when it is asserted on undoubted 
authority, that they frequently fly over 
from Britain into France. 
