62 ON THE HABITS OF THE ROOK. 



The places which the Eooks generally choose for their nests^ are lofty trees 

 in the neighbourhood of old mansions, or in extensive woods; the former are, 

 however, generally preferred. I have sometimes seen nests in hedge-row trees, 

 at a distance from houses or woods; but this, I believe to be an unfrequent 

 occurrence. There is also on record, that in the year 1846, two pairs of 

 Rooks built their nests, and hatched their young, between the chimney-pots 

 of two houses, in a thickly-populated part of Kingston-upon- Hull. That they 

 sometimes build in large towns, is well known; I need only instance the nests 

 on the trees in the Garden of Gray's Inn, London; to which I hear the Rooks 

 have again returned this spring. The time of beginning to build varies in diiferent 

 Rookeries in the same district, without, as far as I am aware, any apparent 

 reason. They will, however, generally be found to commence between the 

 20th. of February and the 20th. of March, except, perhaps, in cold seasons, 

 when they may be a few days later. The nests are too well known to need 

 any description here. The eggs vary from three to five in number; and the 

 young are generally hatched between the 3rd. and 20th. of April. 



At the beginning of May, the Rook-shooter makes a great slaughter. Soon 

 after this, the Rooks forsake the Rookeries in the open ground, and betake them- 

 selves to the woods to roost, generally returning every day to the neighbourhood 

 of the Rookery to feed. I have been unable to ascertain from what distance 

 they come to the woods to roost; but from the vast numbers I have constantly 

 seen resort to a wood in this neighbourhood, in the parish of Kingerby, I 

 suppose them to come from a great distance. On their return in the evening, 

 they always alight near their chosen wood to feed; and I have frequently 

 seen large fields almost covered with them. In fine, still weather, they fly 

 at a great height when returning at night, and when they get over the field 

 where they intend to sup, they will fall with extreme rapidity, with a zigzag 

 motion, their wings outstretched, and uttering a peculiar cry, till they come 

 within a few yards of the ground, when they suddenly throw up their heads, 

 and resume their ordinary horizontal flight for a short distance before alighting. 

 They continue very busy on their feeding ground for about an hour, and 

 then, rising in a body with much clamour, fly oif to the wood, making many 

 circles over it before alighting, as if to examine it, and discover any danger 

 that may threaten them. It is generally nearly an hour before the wood becomes 

 quiet, for on every fresh arrival, the uproar is renewed, till at length it becomes 

 almost deafening; when, however, the whole party is assembled, the wood is 

 soon hushed; the chattering of the Magpie, and the hoarse call of the Carrion 

 Crow having long ceased. 



Up to the time when the Rooks begin to visit their nests, for the purpose 

 of repairing the damage done by the storms of winter, many young birds are 

 conspicuous in the flocks as they come in to roost; conspicuous, I mean, by 

 the black feathers at the base of the bill. Most of them then disappear; a 

 few are, however, still to be seen, and may be easily observed in the 

 Rookeries; they are generally later in building than the old birds, and have 



