Rev. H. B. Tristram on the Ornithology of Palestine. 6 7 
mingled that without close inspection the Rook might easily be 
overlooked. Having, of course, no European specimens by us for 
comparison, we did not at the time detect any differences, except¬ 
ing the very remarkable one, that, with scarcely an exception, 
the plumage at the base of the mandibles was as perfect as in 
the Carrion-Crow. All our specimens were shot between De¬ 
cember and March. Of eight, which fell to my own share, one 
only, shot at Nablous on the 28th of February, has the mandibles 
denuded. A Jerusalem specimen has them very partially so, 
All my other specimens had the plumage entire, and we observed 
the same of many others which we had no time to preserve. 
Thus our induction is sufficiently large, and it is evident that 
the denudation is no specific character of the adult, but simply 
caused by abrasion in digging. Yet it is not a little singular 
that one specimen should be completely denuded, while others, 
shot out of the same flock and feeding in the same manner, had 
not shed their plumage. I may observe that Mr. Swinhoe’s 
specimen of C. pastinator, shot at Pekin in October and now 
before me, is only very slightly denuded. Our Palestine experi¬ 
ence proves that this peculiarity, cautiously dwelt upon by Mr. 
Swinhoe (Proc. Z. S. 1863, p. 306) will not of itself hold good 
as any proof of specific distinction. Probably our artificial state 
of society and the advance of agriculture has much to do with 
the close-shaven cheeks of our Rooks, which may after all be as 
unnatural as the carefully scraped chins of humanity. In a 
country like Palestine, where there is so little true agriculture, 
and where subsoil-ploughing has not yet been introduced, the 
Rook is deprived of his razors, for he has no need to plunge so 
far into the soil for his food ; indeed it would be impossible for 
him to do so. Again, it is possible that he is in Palestine imi¬ 
tating the human inhabitants, fast reverting to a state of 
barbarism, and losing his civilized and agricultural habits. He 
does not keep the best of company, and, constantly consorting 
with Ravens, he may have adopted some of their habits, re¬ 
nounced vegetarianism altogether, even tasted the unclean morsel 
and found it to his liking. 
On our return to England I found by comparison with British 
specimens that there were sufficient constant differences to 
f 2 
