94 
BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND. 
also in the flesh, on 3rd Jan., 1882, shot close to Leicester. i\Ir. Ellis says 
that he sees a pair or two nearly every winter ; and I myself, when driving 
near Bradgate, saw two on 24th Feb., 1882, sitting on an old tree. C. Adcock 
informs me that he mounted one, which had been caught in a trap at 
Bradgate in 1883. Elkington tells me that he has, in past years, received 
several from Swithland. The ‘Leicester Chronicle and Mercury’ of 24th Oct., 
1885, I’ecords that a Mr. Bevin, of Dunton Bassett, found a wounded bird 
there, on 16th Oct, 1885. Since then it appears to have been unusually 
common. I purchased a male, shot on Cropston Load, 31st Oct, 1885, the 
stomach of which contained large quantities of the elytra of various Beetles, 
and some few uninjured small Snails. Another (a female) was shot at Cossington 
on 6th Nov., 1885, and presented to the Museum by Mr. Thomas Woodcock, of 
Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake ; five others had been seen there on the 5th. One 
was shot at Narborough by Mr. Everard about the same time. ]Mr. Davenport 
shot one at Skeffington Vale, in Dec., 1880, and reports three seen at Skeffington 
on the 5th Dec., 1885. The Rev. A. Matthews reports having seen two at 
tiumley. Mr. W. A. Evans saw one at Kirby Muxloe, on 28th Nov., 1885. 
IMr. H. W. Roberts saw one at Sheet Hedges, Bradgate, on 2nd Feb., 1887. 
The Rev. O. D. Armitage told me that he saw one at Broughton Astley, in 
1887. 
In Rutland. — A regular winter visitant, sparingly distributed, and not 
remaining to breed. — IMr. Horn shot a specimen at Uppingham, on 5th Dec., 
1884, and writes that it is occasionally numerous in the Welland Valley, where 
sometimes, as in 1885, he has seen so many as a dozen together. 
ROOK. Corvits frugilegus, Linnaeus. 
Resident and common ; breeding in “ rookeries ” so close to the town of 
Leicester as Stoneygate and Knighton, and, until its demolition, in 1887, at 
Westcotes. — Harley appears to have considered that most of the Rooks bred 
immediately around Leicester congregated and rested for the night, during 
the autumn and winter, in “ Sheet Hedges ” Wood, opposite the village of Ansty. 
He also remarked upon the hardships to which this species is exposed during 
seasons of continued drought, such as the summer of 1826, when numbei’s 
perished in the fields for want of food. 
The eggs vary considerably in size. Two, taken out of a nest at Stoughton, 
were presented to the Museum on 24th April, 1886, by Master Clement A. 
Turner, one of them being of normal size, the other about the size of a 
Sparrow’s egg. 
This bird is subject to much variety. The Museum Donation-book records, 
under date 13th June, 1850, a rather uncommon variety, “of a pale brown 
colour, shot at Stoneygate ” ; and, under date 25th May, 1885, a pied specimen 
from Gopsall ; and one with white wings, from Belvoir, was presented on 24th 
