SOLITARY AND GREGARIOUS. 123 
they can scarcely escape the observation of any 
one who attends to the habits of animals. The 
birds usually select a spot somewhat remote from 
their usual haunts, such as the centre of a copse or 
the edge of a wood, where they may be seen crowd- 
ing closely around one of this number, and scolding 
him in all the terms of their vocabulary. Whether 
they proceed from verbal reproof, however, to cor- 
poreal chastisement, we have never ascertained ; for 
they are so jealous, on such occasions, of intruders, 
that they immediately stay process and break up 
their court, should a prying naturalist venture with- 
in the precincts. Descriptions precisely analogous 
have been given by different authors of assemblies 
of rooks, or crow-courts, as they are called. In the 
latter, however, if we may believe what is reported, 
there is a regular trial of a delinquent, who, upon 
being found guilty, receives a severe drubbing from 
the whole court, and is even sometimes killed out- 
right.* 
Pliny reports something similar to this as occur- 
ring among storks. ‘There is a place,” he says, 
“in the open plains and champaign country of Asia 
Pithonas-Come, where (by report) they assemble 
altogether, and, being met, keep up a jangling one 
with another; but, in the end, look which of them 
lagged behind and came tardy; him they tear in 
pieces, and then depart.” t 
It is not improbable, we think, that this legend 
(for itcan be nothing more) of the crow-courts has 
originated in the quarrels which take place when 
rooks are building their nests, in consequence of 
their propensity to pilfer. In such cases, as Gold- 
smith records from his own observation, “ thefts 
never go unpunished; and probably. upon complaint 
being made, there is a general punishment inflicted : 
* Landt, description of the Feroe Isles. 
¢ Holland’s Plinie, x., 23. 
