WATCHING ROOKS 263 



again, and continues to sweep on as before. Then 

 another wriggle, a further sweep, and so on." 



Since seeing the curious manner in which ravens 

 roll over in the air — as described by me — I have 

 watched the aerial gambols, as one may almost call 

 them, of rooks more closely. There is a certain 

 place, not far from where I live, where these birds 

 make an aerial pause in their homeward flight ; for, 

 whilst many are to be seen settled in some lofty trees 

 of a fine open park, others sail round and round in 

 wide circles and high in the air, over a wide expanse 

 of water in the midst of it. After wheeling thus for 

 some time, first one and then another will descend 

 on spread wings, very swiftly, and with all sorts of 

 whizzes, half-turns or tumbles, and parachute -like 

 motions. When watched closely through the glasses, 

 however, it may be seen that, very often, these rushing 

 descents have their origin in an action, or, rather, an 

 attempted action, very much like that of the raven. 

 The idea of the latter bird is to roll over, so as to be 

 on its back in the air, and, by closing its wings, it is 

 able to achieve this without, or with hardly, any drop 

 from the elevation at which it has been flying. The 

 rooks seem to try to do this too, but instead of 

 closing the wings, they keep them spread, as open, 

 or almost so, as before. Consequently, instead of just 

 rolling over, their turn or roll to either side sends them 

 skimming sideways, down through the air, like a kite — 

 a paper one, I mean. Peewits close the wings and roll 

 over in much the same way as does the raven, but this 

 is generally either preceded, or followed, by a tremen- 

 dous drop through the air, with wings more or less 

 extended, so that the whole has quite a different effect. 



