222 THE BLRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



far, when, on reference to our friend Professor Alfred 

 Newton's edition of ' Yarrell's British Birds,' we 

 discover that we have virtually been almost quoting 

 his words, and, although convinced that we could do 

 no better, think it only right to acknowledge our 

 obligation, and ask, '^ Is there nothing new under the 

 sun "? " To resume, and make wliat really is a long 

 matter short, the eggs are generally five, sometimes 

 six ; we know of one instance in which eight were 

 found in the same nest ; they vary but little in colour, 

 and are generally hatched in the second and third 

 weeks of April. The appearance of the young birds 

 at the edge of the nests, or on the boughs imme- 

 diately surrounding them, depends much upon the 

 weather : if it is mild and showery, and food conse- 

 quently abundant and easily found, we fancy that the 

 rapid growth of the closely packed young produces 

 such intolerable heat in the nests that they will 

 scramble out as soon as they are able to do so, whilst 

 in the cold and ungenial weather which is now, 

 unfortunately, so frequent during May, the young 

 Hooks will remain huddled together in the nests 

 till they are nearly full-fledged, and two or three 

 of the family fully occupy all the limited nursery 

 accommodation. 



From our former experience here, we fix the 10th 

 of May as about an average day for the Hooks to be 

 " fit " for shooting with the rifle, but have often seen 

 strong flyers on and before that day, and, on the 

 other hand, have known some seasons in which 

 hardly a young Rook could be discovered as marks 

 for our bullets before May 15th. About the end of 

 June (when, as a rule, the young Rooks are strong 

 on wing and well able to procure their own living) 



