'83 



Sagncitj? of ttjc JHooft. 



By Rev. Reg. H. C. Fitzherbert. 



HK following note, illustrating the sagacity of the Rook, 

 may interest some members of the Derljyshire 

 Archaeological and Natural History Society. 

 Every winter, when the hard weather sets in, I 

 establish a tits' larder in my garden. This, as most people know, 

 is merely a bone with portions of meat or fat left adhering, or a 

 piece of skinny fat, or any meat trimmings that you can beg or 

 steal from the cook, lied to a string and suspended in the air. If 

 the tits' larder be a lump of fat, it is best to twist a piece of wire 

 round it ; and it must be hung up high enough to be out of the 

 reach of cats. The lower bough of a tree makes a good place ; 

 or, if no tree is available, a pole may be stuck aslant in the 

 ground. 



During the long frost of last winter, I had a tits' larder hung on 

 the lower branch of a cherry tree, a few yards from the house, 

 and right in front of my window, whence I could watch the pretty 

 little tits taking their meals. 



The rooks soon found it out, and also found out a way to make 

 the tits' dinner their own. Standing on the snow-covered ground 

 nearly underneath the swinging piece of fat, a rook would fly up 

 at it, seize it as you take a pawn at chess, en passatti, and making 

 a sudden turn in the air, alight upon the branch with the fat in his 

 mouth, and then proceed to eat it. 



As this cold collation was intended for the special benefit of 

 the tits, and other refreshment was provided for the rooks, I tried 



