ROOKS IN THE CORN. [To TEE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sru,—In the Spectator of May 6th, your correspondent, "A Member of the Society for the Protection of Birds," mentions the usefulness of rooks in a cornfield. An old farmer near us is a great friend to the rooks and never allows them to be destroyed, since a day "years ago," when he shot a bird busy among his fresh-sown fields, and, on opening it, found its crop to be full of wireworms. For some time after this incident, "the boys" continued to bring home dead rooks as the spoil of their guns ; but the old man insisted on each being opened, and on every occasion the birds were found to have fed solely on grubs.
We have a large rookery, and, needless to say, never allow them to be disturbed, much to the indignation of a young neighbouring farmer, who declared we should ruin him by our ill-timed humanity. Two years ago, he sowed a large field with wheat, and the operation was no sooner com- pleted than the acreage was black with our rooks. The wrathful owner was in despair, and was advised to plant some other crop on the land, which must of necessity be quite barren of seed ; but, to punish us for our folly, he determined to "let the land alone till autumn." He did so ; and never reaped a richer harvest. Since then, he has "taken note" of the ways of rooks, and believes, with us, that they do more good than harm. Our birds build close to our kitchen- garden, and are regularly fed on the lawn, like fowls, all winter ; and we never even miss a potato. It is said that rooks will follow their friends. This spring we temporarily removed to a house a mile beyond our own property, and three couples. of our rooks have taken up their abode in the elm-trees close to our new quarters, and are busy rearing families, and con- stantly coming to the windows to be fed, as this extremely dry season probably sends the worms and grubs below the sub-soil, and out of reach of their beaks.—I am, Sir, &C.,
ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. (New Forest Branch.)
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