October 175 



oak, Quercus cerris, and its charmingly mossy- 

 cupped acorns readily distinguish it from our 

 English species. 



A tree of this kind stands on my lawn, and every 

 autumn, for some years past, on a special day, when 



SESSILE OAK. 



the rooks by instinct have found out that the fruit 

 is ripe, they come from my rookery in flocks to 

 feast upon the acorns and carry them away, as I 

 believe, to some hiding-places of their own. 



All day long the great birds are winging their 

 way to and fro, cawing and rejoicing over the spoil, 

 until they leave the tree entirely stripped, with 



