CORVUS FRUGILIGUS. 461 



" pillan," the best bait for the handline fisher, which I have 

 often tested. They may be seen poking about their old nests in 

 October. St Valentine's Day, the 14th of February, is said to 

 be the time the young begin to court, but after moulting, amidst 

 the general flocks, pairs and small groups may be seen in 

 company, so the young may pair in October. 



On 5th December 1888, on my way to Tentsmuir, I noticed 

 them at Earlsha' in pairs repairing their nests for the " chief 

 end" of life, as if it were the first of March ; but it was mild, and 

 the two previous months were stormy. At Eastburn and 

 Driffield in Yorkshire that year they had eggs in October and 

 November. On November 11th, 1889, I saw them building 

 here, also on January 2nd, 1890 ; but, as already said, there is no 

 hard-and-fast rule with birds or nature generally. When 

 courting they have the habit of bending their heads and 

 spreading out their tails stiff like fans. They also, at this all- 

 powerful time, fall and tumble in the air like fools, and even 

 make a pitiful attempt to sing. When pressed they can build 

 their nests in two or four days. A pair began on a solitary 

 ash tree in a garden near my own on March 7th, 1886 ; by the 

 11th it was finished. On the 12th it was torn down by a score 

 of rooks from the adjacent rookeries at Seaview, the United 

 College, Dean's Court, the Priory, and St Leonard's. Some 

 stole the sticks for their own nests ; others merely tore them out 

 and let them drop, as if angry at this pair daring to set up house 

 for themselves. After it was torn down the indefatigable pair 

 began again in the same place. It was torn down and partly 

 rebuilt a dozen times. I threw stones and tried to frighten the 

 thieves away, which, along with the pluck of the pair, 

 succeeded, for on the 18th it was finished. The two had to 

 keep out of sight, or they also would have been attacked as at 

 first. On the 18th I saw the male fly down into the garden, 

 leaving the female to arrange the nest. She came out and 

 " cawed ;" he at once flew up and fed her. She seemed pleased, 

 and fluttered like a young one. I thought I had never seen a 

 finer mark of conjugal affection, after the prolonged struggle 

 against such heavy odds. They reared their young till nearly 

 ripe. One night I heard a pitiful cawing. I divined the cause. 

 That night the nest was harried by boys. The same year a pair 

 built on a high chimney betwixt two cans near St Leonard's, 

 and reared their young — the rookery there being limited by some 

 of the trees being cut down. In May 1881 a pair inspected 

 the top of a schooner's foremast at Warnemiinde ; next morning 



