312 THE JACKDAW. 



evening, before they retire to roost, still I can never see a carrion 

 crow build its nest in a rookery. There was always a carrion 

 crow's nest here, in a clump of high Scotch pines, near the stables, 

 till the rooks got possession of the trees ; the carrion couple then 

 forsook the place ; the rooks were dislodged from this clump of 

 trees, and then a pair of carrion crows (the same, for aught I know 

 to the contrary) came and built their nest in it. 



The rook lays from three to five eggs, varying much, like those of 

 the carrion crow, in colour, shape, and size. After the rooks have 

 built and even lined their nests, they leave them, on the approach 

 of night, to repair to the general rendezvous at Nostell Priory ; but 

 as soon as they begin to lay, they then no longer quit the trees 

 at night, until they have reared their young, When this has been 

 effected, we see large flocks of them resorting to the different woods 

 of the neighbourhood to pass the night, This they continue to do 

 till a few days before the autumnal equinox, when, for reasons which 

 baffle all conjecture, they begin to pass over this valley every morn- 

 ing in a westerly direction, and return in the evening to their eastern 

 roosting-place in the woods of Nostell Priory. 



Rooks are observed to keep up a very close and friendly inter- 

 course with starlings and jackdaws ; but on looking at them in the 

 fields, the observer will perceive that, while the jackdaws mix pro- 

 miscuously with the rooks, both in their flight and in searching 

 for food, the starlings always keep in their own flock. This circum- 

 stance has long engaged my attention, but I am no further advanced 

 in the investigation than I was on the first day on which I set out. 

 It is one of the many secrets in the habits of birds, which will, per- 

 haps, be for ever concealed from our view. 



THE JACKDAW. 



THIS lively bird is the constant friend and companion of the rook, 

 in our part of Yorkshire, for nine months out of twelve ; and I think 

 there is no doubt but that it would remain with the rook for the 



