266 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



vicinity of Norwich these colonies are scattered in 

 all directions, and rookeries, more or less extensive, 

 have been formed for years at Cossey, Earlliam, 

 Keswick, Bowthorpe, Shottesham, Caister, Crown- 

 Point, Bixley, Spixworth, &c., all within a few miles 

 of the city, whilst smaller communities within the 

 walls attest the social habits of these birds, and their 

 indifference even to the busy traffic of our streets. Though 

 born and brought up as a citizen myself, the ^* mellow 

 cawing" of the rooks in spring has been a sound as 

 familiar to my ears from childhood as to any denizen 

 of the country, my father's residence, in Surrey-street, 

 being immediately opposite the trees in Sir Samuel 

 Bignold's garden and coach-yard, where, for many years, 

 a small party of rooks have regularly reared their young. 

 In the season of 1865, I counted upwards of twenty 

 nests, all visible from the street, besides others at the 

 back of Stanley-house, immediately adjoining. Whether 

 off-shoots or not from this long- established colony, I have 

 discovered stray nests, during the last few years, in 

 several other parts of the city. For some time two or 

 three pairs have built regularly on the ehns at the back of 

 St. Faith's-lane, and others have located themselves on 

 some trees near Pottergate-street. A single nest was also 

 tenanted for at least two seasons on one of the lofty ehns 

 in Chapel Field ; and the clamorous cries of the young 

 brood drew my attention to another solitary nest, on 

 a tree at the back of Mr. Firth's residence, abutting 

 on Bethel-street. The late Bishop Stanley, in his 

 " Familiar History of Birds," mentions a small rookery 

 as having existed formerly in the Palace garden, and 

 thus describes its sudden and unaccountable abandon- 

 ment — " For several years the birds had confined their 

 nests to a few trees immediately in front of the house, 

 when one season, without any assignable cause, they 

 took up a new position on some trees also in the garden. 



