i8o The Rdok 



continual noises of a great city do not seem to disturb them at all, as is evident 

 from the fact that Rooks still build and breed in the old trees which have been 

 left standing in the busiest parts of London.* 



The nest is usually connucuced or repaired early iu March, but after 

 unusualh- mild winters building operations sometimes commence much earlier. 

 After the exceptionally open winter of 1895-6 I saw several young Rooks sitting 

 just outside the nests in which the}- had been hatched as early as the 6th March, 

 whilst I had noticed the Rooks in a rookery close to my house repairing their 

 nests in January, and in Februar}- a pair daily visited m^' garden for worms : a 

 friend of mine living at Dulwich first directed my attention to the early pre- 

 parations for nesting made by these birds, assuring me in January that he had 

 seen a pair of Rooks carrying sticks up to their nest. In the "Feathered World" 

 for April 24th, 1896, Mr. W. N. Rushen says: — "I saw two young Rooks near 

 Wanstead Park, on April 8th, which were as strong on the wing as their parents; 

 and, to be as forward as this, the}- must have left the nest for some weeks." t 



The structure is usually very compact, formed of strong sticks and twigs, 

 plastered with mud, lined with turf, straw, roots, and sometimes moss, dead 

 leaves, and feathers. The eggs number from three to five and vary considerably 

 both in form and colouring, exhibiting similar forms to those of the Carrion- 

 Crow ; they are, however, noticeably smaller. The ground-colour varies from 

 pale -blue to green, and is lighter or darker iu different nests ; the spotting is 

 olive-brown, fine and sparse, or coarser and thicklj' distributed over the entire 

 surface and sometimes with a few larger deep brown blotches or streaks. 



Of the eggs figured on our plate, figs. 241 and 242 are from my own 

 collection, and 243 and 244 from that of Mr. A. B. Farn's. 



When the young first leave the nest they are awkward and weak on their 

 legs, sitting huddled on a branch with their heads well down between their 

 shoulders ; as the wind sways the branch the}- tip forwards, and have to open 

 their short wings to recover their balance ; but, after daily short excursions 

 from branch to branch, the}' gradually gather strength and confidence, until 

 finally they are able to accompany their parents to the fields and get their 

 first lesson in finding food for themselves. 



To those who have not noticed the methods by which the various species 

 of Crows are taught by their parents, I cannot do better than recommend the 

 admirable account given by Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller in her fascinating book 



* Sonietinies the nest is said to be placed ou chimneys, ornaments of chnrch spires, and rarely on the 

 ground. 



t Mr. Rushen was well-known to readers of that paper as one of its most reliable contributors; a keen 

 sludeut and euthusiastic lover of our P.ritish Birds. 



