ROOKS. 
243 
that the whole surface was covered with uprooted 
stems of one particular plant, and on looking more 
narrowly, it was ascertained that many of those still 
untouched were of an unhealthy yellow appearance ; 
and that to these alone the Rooks seemed to direct 
their attention ; and on still closer examination, the 
roots of each of these unhealthy plants were found 
to have been attacked by a small grub, which at 
once accounted for the daily presence of these sable 
visitants. 
We often hear persons congratulating themselves 
on a deep snow, a hard frost, or dry weather, as the 
surest means of destroying insects; whereas it is 
just the reverse. A hard frost, or a deep snow, or 
a dry summer, are the very best protection they can 
have, and for this reason, the Rooks and other birds 
cannot reach that innumerable host which pass the 
greatest part of their existence under-ground. In 
vain the hungry Rook, in a hard frost, looks over a 
fine fallow, or a field of new-sown wheat. He may 
be seen sitting on a bare bough, like Tantalus, in 
the midst of plenty beyond his reach, with his fea- 
thers ruffled up, casting every now and then an 
anxious glance over the frozen surface, beyond the 
power of even his strong beak to penetrate. His 
situation is much the same in dry Springs or Sum- 
mers, when he may be seen walking up and down by 
the sides of highways, picking up what he can get* 
In the hot summer of 1825 many of the young 
broods of the season are reported to have been 
starved: the mornings were without dew, and con- 
sequently few or no earth-worms were to be obtained, 
