INSESSOEES. 99 



county,* they place themselves, as it were, under 

 our protection, by building in sight of our windows, 

 and are constantly in view. They are amongst the 

 earliest birds to nest ; I have observed them building 

 on February 26th, and have taken the eggs on 

 March 22nd. 



" The partiality which Eooks evince for building 

 their nests on any trees sufficiently lofty that are 

 occasionally to be found in various parts of crowded 

 cities, must have been observed not only in London 

 but elsewhere.t In the spring of 1838, a pair of 

 Rooks began to form a nest on the crown which 

 surmounted the vane of St. Olave's Church, in Hart 

 Street, Crutched Friars. Many persons will re- 

 member the nest built on a single, and not very 

 lofty tree, near the corner of Wood Street, Cheap- 

 side, in the season of 1836, and two nests were built 

 and occupied in the year 1845. Some years since, 

 a pair built their nest between the wings of the 



* Some idea of the number of Rooks may be formed 

 when it is stated that within the space of five miles by 

 three, the author has reckoned eleven rookeries, each con- 

 taining on an average twenty nests (many of them nearly 

 twice that number). If we allow a pair of old birds to each 

 nest, and only four young ones, which will be below the 

 mark, we have in one year 1330 birds in the area above 

 mentioned. 



f Goldsmith gives an interesting account of the Rooks 

 observed by him in the Temple Gardens. 



K 2 



