Northern Observations of Inland Birds 79 



kept several fowls in a pasture high on the hillside, and 

 the rooks became so troublesome in stealing the food 

 thrown down for the hens that eventually the man who 

 fed them took to keeping an old shot gun hidden con- 

 veniently near. The result was that on weekdays no 

 rooks ever went near till he was well out of range, but on 

 Sundays, when the use of shot guns is prohibited by law, 

 the cunning birds would swoop down almost at his feet. 

 It may be that the rooks took the hint from the early 

 morning ringing of the church bells, or again they may 

 have recognized the Sunday attire of the farm man. This 

 latter is by no means improbable, as young trout in the 

 hatcheries are timid of their keeper and will not show 

 themselves should he visit their ponds in the dark garb 

 of Sunday attire, instead of in his usual tweeds. Rooks 

 are at least as observant as trout. 



These birds, like the other members of the family to 

 which they belong, are much given to the habit of storing 

 food, and very often they exhibit the very highest 

 intelligence in the selection of their storerooms. Nuts 

 and such like they are known to bury in manure, which 

 possesses certain preservative properties, or it may be 

 that manure is chosen because it will not freeze, which 

 would render the store inaccessible at a time when likely 

 to be most urgently needed. 



Jackdaws are in every sense as clever as rooks — at 

 least one is inclined to think that their attachment to 

 the rook colonies is a great deal more profitable to 

 themselves than to the rooks. I remember one fine 

 autumn day lying at the edge of some high rocks and 

 watching a few jackdaws at work on the crags opposite. 

 One of them was busily engaged in collecting something 

 from a wood edge near by, returning loaded every four 

 or five minutes, and forthwith disappearing into a crevice, 

 to reappear presently having deposited his treasure. 



