Wild Birds, Usefid and Injurious, 21 
these pests from the stomachs of young birds. Like other 
members of their family, rooks are very intelligent, and very 
soon realise the harmlessness of clock-guns and other devices 
intended to scare them. They use their brains, too, when hunt- 
ing for food, and I was once much amused to see a rook in a 
pasture field lift up a fairly large stone with its bill to see 
if there were any worms or other delicacies underneath.' 
The Carri '09 Crow or Corbie does not nest in colonies, as the 
rook does, and the base of the bill is feathered, whereas in the 
adult rook that portion and the face are bare. The two birds 
differ in other particulai’S, notably in voice, that of the crow 
being particularly harsh and, one is almost inclined to add, 
insulting. It is a most destructive bird to game, and a 
basketful of sucked eggshells may be picked up in the 
neighbourhood of its nest. It takes a certain amount of 
vegetable matter, but feeds chiefly on carrion, animal matter of 
all sorts, including young rabbits, leverets, small birds, and 
insects, and at times destroys weakly ewes and lambs. The 
Grey, Hooded, or Royston crows, so conspicuous in some of our 
eastern counties in winter, are identical with the carrion crow 
in every respect, except that the plumage of the body is grey, 
in striking contrast with the black head, wings, and tail. 
Amongst a flock of rooks thei’e are generally a few 
Jackdaws. They may be distinguished from their relatives 
by their smaller size and in adult plumage by the grey feathers 
on the sides and back of the neck. Jackdaws eat a quantity of 
snails and insects, but they are very mischievous, devouring 
eggs, young birds, corn, and fruit. Like the starling they 
frequently perch on the backs of sheep, and pursue flies on the 
wing. 
It is a great pity that the Magpie is so destructive to 
game. Many people, seeing it only at a distance, speak of 
it as a black and white bird ; such a description is, however, 
very inadequate, for the blue, green and purple reflections 
which enrich its plumage combine with the graduated tail 
and the strong contrast of the snow-white markings to make 
the magpie one of our handsomest birds. It destroys quan- 
tities of eggs and young birds of all kinds, and, like the rest of 
its family, will eat almost anything. To the fai'mer and fruit- 
grower it renders considerable service by destroying insects, 
rats, mice, and the eggs of woodpigeons and many fruit-eating 
’ The Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society for 1896 
contained an account of an investigation by Sir John Gilmour, Bart., aided by 
Professors M’Alpine, Campbell, and Seton, on the food of rooks, woodpigeons, 
and starlings, throughout the year. The contents of 336 rooks were examined, 
and the result was very unfavourable to the birds, grain and husk being found 
in 290 of them. 
