6 
ALLEN’S NATURALISTS LIBRARY. 
nesting throughout the greater part of Northern and Central 
Europe, extending eastwards in Siberia to the valley of the 
Irtisch river, and nesting in Turkestan. It breeds through- 
out the greater part of France, locally in Northern Italy, and 
the Danubian provinces, as well as in Southern Russia. In the 
Mediterranean countries it is principally known as a winter 
visitor, and probably the birds which breed in Central Asia are 
those which find their way to North-western India and Persia 
in winter. The northern range of the Rook extends to the 
Arctic Circle in Scandinavia, but only to about 64° N. lat. in 
Russia and Western Siberia ; its eastern range being limited 
by the 70th meridian of longitude. 
Habits. — The Rook is a gregarious bird, being always 
found in flocks, both in winter and during the nesting-season ; 
therein again differing from the Carrion Crow, which is always 
seen in pairs. It is practically an omnivorous bird, devouring 
flesh, fruit, and gaibage, neither disdaining to scavenge on the 
sea shore, or to harry an orchard. It will devour a number of 
walnuts when they have reached a good size and are almost 
ripe for picking, and in dry seasons, when other food-supplies 
fail, the Rook will undoubtedly feed on young birds, and also 
pilfer the eggs of birds which build in the open, such as 
Wheatears, Pipits, and Larks. On the other hand the amount 
of good done by the Rooks in the destruction of wire-worms 
and other noxious grubs is incalculable, and the bird, like the 
Starling, is a veritable friend to the farmer. In Scotland, 
where it is supposed to do some injury to young birds, the 
Rook is regarded with no more favour than it is in Holland, 
though it doubtless often suffers for the misdeeds of the 
Hooded Crow. 
Rooks are decidedly capricious in their choice of a 
nesting-place, but when once a rookery is established, it is 
seldom that the locality is deserted, and the birds will return 
year after year in spite of persecution. Thus some three 
years ago, in the town of Leiden, the Rooks took up their 
abodein the trees which line the principal streets, and came back 
the next year in spite of the previous destruction of their nests. 
On their return, however, the inhabitants objected to the 
noise and litter of the birds, and a man was employed by the 
