270 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

and taking the drowning raven up in his mouth, laid him
gently on the ground, when he soon recovered.”

The Rook. The Rook which is often confused with the
Carrion Crow is found in many parts of Europe and is
abundant in England, where it is common to see groups of
trees near gentlemen’s houses given up to their occupancy.
Here they build. their nests, rear their young, keep up an
incessant cawing, quarrel and make peace as do all other
large communities. If a new-comer appears among them,
he is generally received in a very rough manner. At New-
castle, a pair of rooks attempted to introduce themselves
into a rookery, but were so rudely treated, that, in high
dudgeon, they ascended to the steeple of one of the public
buildings, and built their nest on the vane. Here they lived
for several successive seasons, turning about with every change
of wind, and regardless of the busy scene in the town beneath.
The rook is gregarious, in which particular it differs from
the Carrion Crow which lives in pairs. Further differences
are found in the feathering of the head and neck of these
birds, that of the crow being much more completely covered
than that of the rook. The croak of the crow is, moreover,
much harsher than the caw of the rook. Like most, if not
all other birds and animals, the rook serves a useful purpose in
nature, in checking the multiplication of the worms and insects
which prey upon the crops; and doubtless were he able to
argue the question he would contend that helping the farmer
to produce his harvest he has a right to a share in it.
It is only when the rook in his turn gets too numerous that
he needs a similar check.

The Carrion The Carrion Crow resembles the raven in ap-

Crow. pearance, but is about one third smaller in size.
{t lives in pairs and is said to be a model of conjugal fidelity
and parental care. Omnivorous in habit it appropriates all
kinds of food: insects, grain, eggs, fruit, nuts, mice, ducklings
and chickens, as well as such dead meat as may offer oppor-