CORVUS FRUGILIGUS. 463 



of the old Cathedral, I counted twenty rooks' nests before it was 

 shattered and blown down in December 1888. It was cut 

 5 feet 6 inches from the ground, is 2 feet in diameter, and still 

 stands. 



"To-day, May 20th, 1889, I see small sprouts beginning to spring from 

 the old hawthorn tree, as if loth to be yet numbered with the dead. 

 The trunk was 15 feet high, and shattered many years ago ; but the rents 

 were bound by iron bands, and covered with lead to keep out the water — 

 thanks to the care of Mr Stirling." 



When writing this local history of our birds, sometimes I have 

 seen our streets at early dawn paraded by rooks, pigeons, and 

 daws, acting as unpaid scavengers long before the hired ones 

 were astir. One little note will suffice : — 



" Half -past three o'clock morning, June 18 th, 1888. I see 14- rooks — old 

 and young, 9 jackdaws, 5 pigeons, and a tortoiseshell cat, stalking and 

 prowling on the narrow of Market Street, where I write this, all looking 

 for grub ; but this is common on the streets of the grey old city by the sea, 

 where there are six rookeries and six clerical denominations. No doubt 

 these black-coated rooks and grey headed daws think they have as much 

 right as Cardinal Beaton and the Black and Grey Friars had when walking 

 over them to see the burning of George Wishart and Patrick Hamilton." 



I have seen them in dozens on our streets at grey dawn, for, 

 like the rest of the genera, rooks are greedy as well as 

 omnivorous. Burns even compares a man kissing a woman to a 

 "greedy rook." He also says — 



" Oh, leave novels, ye Mauchline belles, 

 Ye're safer at your spinning-wheel ; 

 Such witching books are baited hooks 

 For rakish rooks like Rob Mosgiel" (meaning himself). 



They eat everything that comes in their way on the streets, 

 fields, or sea-shore, from a laburnum seed to a potato, from a 

 grub to a mouse, or a bit of cheese to a limpet. I have watched 

 them in June and July on the rocks at low water turning over 

 limpets and scooping out the fish. They bend their head, slip 

 in the point of their bill sideways, and dislodge them as quickly 

 as if they were lying loose. They turn them over, put their 

 feet on the shell, and pick out the fish. One note will 

 suffice : — 



"On July 6th, 1882, being out the rocks fishing. I saw a number of 

 rooks — many this year's birds— searching for food. On coming in the 

 ' Lady Craig' I picked up a lot of limpet shells with the fish mostly scooped 

 out. I watched a young rook so busily engaged it did not observe me ; it 

 put down its head, turned its bill sideways to get better under the limpet, 

 and lifted it quite easily ; turned it over, put its feet on it, gave a few dabs 

 with its beak, walked a few paces, did the same to another, which it 



