BIRDS IN THE HIGH HALL GARDEN 



have for them is a mystery, unless indeed 

 they are sentimental enough to like revisiting 

 old scenes and cawing over old memories. 



The proximity of a rookery does not affect 

 all people alike. Some who, ordinarily dwell- 

 ing hi cities, suffer from lack of bird neigh- 

 bours, would regard the deliberate destruc- 

 tion of a rookery as an act of vandalism. A 

 few, as a matter of fact, actually set about 

 establishing such a colony where none pre- 

 viously existed, an ambition that may 

 generally be accomplished without extreme 

 difficulty. All that is needed is to transplant 

 a nest or two of young rooks and lodge them 

 in suitable trees. The parent birds usually 

 follow, rear the broods, and forthwith found 

 a settlement for future generations to return 

 to. Even artificial nests, with suitable supplies 

 of food, have succeeded, and it seems that 

 the rook is nowhere a very difficult neighbour 

 to attract and establish. 



Why are rooks more sociable than ravens, 

 and what do they gam from such communal- 

 ism ? These are favourite questions with 

 persons informed with an intelligent passion 

 for acquiring information, and the best 

 49 E 



