Which one of the following, if true, argues most strongly against the explanation reported in the passage?
(A) Official records of the population of birds in England have been kept for only the past 30 years.
(B) The number of eggs laid yearly by a female songbird varies widely according to the songbird’s species.
(C) Although the overall population of magpies has increased, in most areas of England in which the songbird population has decreased the number of magpies has remained stable.
(D) The population of magpies has increased because farmers no longer shoot or trap magpies to any greal extent, though farmers.
(E) Although magpies eat the eggs and chicks of songbirds, magpies diets consist of a wide variety of other foods as well.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
(A) Grooves and scratches found on bones and stones were all made by people, and none resulted from natural processes.
(C) Grooves and scratches inscribed on bones and stones do not date back to the time of the earliest people.