89 
barley husks that formed the main portion, these pellets contained 
pebbles, some of large size, fragments of insects, chiefly wing-cases 
of beetles and in some instances (those taken at Cromer) minute 
portions of white egg-shells ; but from finding, close by, evidences 
of a recent picnic where hard boiled eggs had formed part of the 
fare, I have no reason in this instance, and so late in the season, to 
impute egg stealing to the birds in question. 
On showing these pellets to a very observing gamekeeper on the 
Northrepps estate, ho at once recognized them by the name of 
rooks, “ Quids,” and expressed his belief that wood-pigeons ejected 
similar though smaller pellets. It seems strange that this habit of 
so common a species should be so little known, another proof at 
least that British Ornithology is not an exhausted subject ; but 
with the exception of a note in the “ Field,” of August 11th, 186G, 
I know of no allusion to this fact in any work on Natural 
History. 
IMr. James Barnes, however, the Avriter in the “Field” above 
alluded to, says : “ I have for many years observed the rooks 
gleaning from our corn-fields and meadows immense tjuantities of 
food, secreting more than they can swallow in a pouch below the 
beak. I hey return to their roosting trees about fi\m or six o’clock 
every evening, and there, amidst much noise and chattering, eject 
jDellets of indigested food, consisting of the hrisks of corn and 
grass, eai’wigs, beetles, legs and wings of various moths, stones, 
pieces of lime, &c.” Some of these pellets sent to the editor also 
contained numerous cherry stones, snail shells, skins of Avireworms, 
and bones of a small quadruped, perhaps a shreAV-mouse. 
I liaA'^e never met Avith these debris in any rookery, Avhen 
shooting the j'oung bii'ds in spring •, but possibly the coarse and 
niore miscellaneous substances that form their autumn diet, obliges 
them, at that season more particularly, to adopt this method of 
easing their stomachs. The pellets T examined measured generally 
from tAvo inches to two-and-a-half inches in length, shaped some 
Avhat like a boy s “ tip-cat,” the circumference in the middle being 
AA’ithin ^ th of an inch of the length. I ha\'e since found a tame 
jackdaAv tlisgorge a portion of its A'ery miscellaneous food in simi- 
larly shaped pellets, though very much smaller, and most probably 
the same habit occurs with that species in a Avild state. 
Mr. Upcher tells me he had once a tame jackdaAV' AA’hich took a 
