CORVUS FRUGILIGUS. 465 



gale and drenching rain — I noticed that the males, for shelther, 

 roosted on the lee side of the nest — some under it, some on its 

 lee rim, and some sat inside, along with the female and the 

 young ; the trees swaying from side to side formed excellent 

 and safe, though very old, patent wicker cradles. 



A proprietor having magpies but no rooks in his policies, 

 wishing a rookery, took out the magpies' eggs and put 

 rooks' eggs, which vvere hatched and the young reared ; but 

 though the magpies hopped about with and carefully nursed 

 them, the rooks were no sooner able to provide for themselves 

 than they deserted their foster parents and went to their own 

 kind. The old Kirk Session here are not so anxious about rooks 

 building near the kirk, for on March 28th, 1893, a rook 

 was sitting — safely, as she thought — near the church on a fine 

 high alder tree in the area, which was ruthlessly cut down and 

 the nest destroyed ; but as another proof of quick building, the 

 same rooks built again at Abbey Park and began to sit on April 

 7th. Like the rest of the genera it is easily tamed. In 1873 I 

 knew one — a female — the coachman had at Mountmelville. It flew 

 at liberty — quite tame — " cawed" and welcomed him, and sat on 

 his shoulder. In March next year it went away for seven weeks, 

 then returned, alighted on his shoulder, " cawed," and 

 welcomed him as before, after its matrimonial duties were done, 

 which shows that kindness begets confidence, also that the 

 broad law of Nature — love — overrides all. The Scotsman, May 

 10th, 1893, says — "A rook has been fed daily by two ladies 

 living at Eskside, near Musselburgh, for the last eight years. 

 He is very tame, and comes flying as soon as he sees a plate 

 with his food — in fact the plate has only to be waved when 

 down he comes. Twice a year he vanishes for about a month. 

 The brood generally comes with him and remains for a week or 

 two near at hand, then disappears ; and in the harvest time he 

 comes for about a fortnight. He is not afraid of men or 

 women or girls, but has a dread of boys. No doubt he has 

 reason." ' Rooks generally begin to lay on March 6th. The 

 young fly at Whitsunday. On May 6th, 1893 and 1894, I saw 

 the young begin to leave the nest, scramble up the twigs, and 

 make short flights. On April 6th, 1894, I saw a singular 

 instance of upward flight. A lot of seagulls were flying over 

 the small rookery at Abbey Park, pretty high up. The rooks 

 left the trees and flew up amongst them. The gulls mounted 

 higher, the rooks after them, mingling together until they 

 soared up amongst the clouds, so high that the rooks could not be 



