54 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



scenes, there will be many small outbreaks, and when 

 these have been between the two species, I have been 

 unable to make out that one was inferior to the 

 other. But such ebullitions have more of threaten- 

 ing in them than real fighting, so, taking into con- 

 sideration the incident just recorded, it may be that 

 the crow, when really in earnest, is recognised by 

 the rook as the better bird, though, if anything, I 

 think he is a little the smaller of the two. Jack- 

 daws, on the other hand, seem conscious of their 

 inferiority when with rooks, and slip about de- 

 murely amongst them, as though wishing not to be 

 noticed. 



On the part of either rook or crow, a combative 

 inclination is indicated by the sudden bending 

 down of the head, and raising and fanning out of 

 the tail. The fan is then closed and lowered, as 

 the head goes up again, and this takes place several 

 times in succession. If a bird come within slight- 

 ing distance of one that has thus expressed himself, 

 there is, at once, an affaire, the two jumping sud- 

 denly at one another. After the first pass or two, 

 they pause by mutual consent — just as duellists 

 do in a novel — and then stand front to front, the 

 beaks — or rapiers — being advanced, and pointed a 

 little upwards, their points almost touching. Then, 

 instantaneously, they spring again, each bird trying 

 to get above the other, so as to strike him down. 

 These fireworks, indeed, belong more to the rooks 

 than the crows, for the former, being more social 

 birds, are also more demonstrative. Not that the 

 crows are without the gregarious instinct. Here, 

 at least, in East Anglia, one may see in them 



