1824,] 
being . well calculated for -bedding 
for horses, cattle, pigs, &c. and for 
which, I assert, they are much better 
adapted than bruised gorse, and other 
stubborn substances, which are used 
in places where straw is both scarce 
and dear. He says justly, that in 
some depths of rivers, where pools are 
formed, and in other places, that 
gushes grow entirely under the sur- 
face, and considers any attempt to 
detach them from these deep aquatic 
bets to be a task both of difficulty and 
danger. I can assure him his sur- 
mises are wrong: the process is sim- 
ple, easy, and safe; a lad stands on 
each side a puut-boat, while another 
lad keeps it steady, or moves it, as 
occasion requires. They are both 
furnished with a cutter, an instrument 
similar in shape, but smaller, than a 
common digging spade, and which is 
attached to the end of a slight firm 
pole, whose length is proportioned to 
the depth of the river where this ope- 
ration is required ; and it is surprising 
to see with what ease the different 
floating masses are detached from 
their roots, and rise therefrom to the 
river’s surface. The time chosen for 
this branch of exercise is when the 
tide is receding, and in a direction 
towards the mill-head, round which 
the various drifted heaps form one 
collection, and are thence drawn out 
by rakes, and afterwards left to exhale 
their moisture in the sun. 
. What tons of loads of rushes does 
the Severn, the Thames, the Medway, 
the Trent, alouve individually contain ! 
and, however Vandal-like may appear 
such an infringement as I recommend 
upon the ancient domains frequented 
by such choice masters as Collins, 
Gray, and other votaries of the lyre, 
I readily acquit myself on this score, 
that national property will become, 
according to the extent of its adop- 
tion, more or less enhanced ; besides, 
those nowinaccessible and intolerable 
retreats for toads, water-newts, efts, 
and gluttonous birds, such as hitterns, 
herons, and other devastating crea- 
tures, in addition to those mischievous 
animals I have before specified, will 
become nearly extirpated, and the sun 
will, in such a case, smile pleasantly 
upon those now “hidden waters.” 
Mr. Alexander Moody, of Hawley- 
mills, is the gentleman who has the 
merit of bringing water-rushes into 
practical use, and I wish to see the 
experiment more extensively tried. 
River-Rushes.— Singular Habit of Rooks. 
509 
Singular Habit of Rooks. 
It is a fact that these busy noisy 
birds prefer building their nests in 
elm-trees to any other. As an illus- 
trative fact, I beg to mention, ‘that 
there is a fine mingled assortment of 
elms and horse-chesnut trees growing 
in beautiful diversification on the 
banks of the river Darent, at Hawley, 
in Kent, and yet not in one of the lat- 
ter species of trees do the rooks ever 
build their nests. Every frequenter of 
rural nature knows what a grand pic+ 
turesque object a full-grown horse- 
chesnut tree forms; it possesses much 
of the masculine majesty of the oak in 
the breadth and heighth of its struc- 
ture;,and in autumn, when its full 
shining leaves are spread in perfection, 
and their verdant drapery is intermin- 
gled with its prolific round prickly 
fruit, the sight is beautiful, as well as 
it is in spring, when its full dotted 
blossoms form a variety of snow-like 
festoons, delighting the climbing and 
searching eye, as it views them. 
I consider it singular that rooks 
should dislike building their nests in 
these trees, which are far better adapt- 
ed to shelter them and their young; 
either from a too intense heat of the 
sun, or the visitation of unpleasant 
rains, than the elm-tree is; but such is 
the fact, that they uniformly reject the 
horse-chesnut trees, and fix their airy 
settlements among the elms. 
If that eminent naturalist, Bingley, 
were alive, I would ask him for a so- 
lution of so singular a phenomenon; 
as he is not, I will endeavour to an- 
swer it myself. 1 consider this strong 
objection to arise from a rankness of 
vegetation which is inherent in the 
horse-chesnut tree, and which proves 
so offensive and unpleasant to the sen= 
sitive organs of these birds, that they 
cannot dwell comfortably in their 
branches: the bitter quality of the 
fruit, when ripe, is well known to be 
of so repulsive a nature that even hun- 
gry swine will not eat them. It is 
likewise singular with what strength 
(and wisdom of instinct,) rooks attach 
their nests to the highest branches of 
those trees where they form their colo- 
nies; so much so, that village boys 
inform me they can stand on them 
without disturbing in the least the 
equilibrium of their position. 
Sagacity and Rapacity of Water-rats. 
Nature certainly shows less wisdom 
in some parts of her management for 
the. preservation of species than in 
others : 
