Eook-shootina. 237 



guished, despite the height, b}- the almost continuous 

 cry for food. The labor of feeding the voracious 

 creatures must be immense, and necessity may partly 

 account for the greater boldness of the old birds at 

 that season. By counting the nests from which the 

 crj- proceeds the condition of the rookery is ascer- 

 tained,' and the amount of sport it will afford reck- 

 oned with some certainty. By noting the nests from 

 which the cry arose last, it is known which trees 

 to avoid in the rook-shooting ; for the young do not 

 all come to maturity at the same time, and there are 

 generally a dozen or so which it is best to leave a 

 week or a fortnight later than the rest. 



When the young birds begin to quit the nests, and 

 are observed perching on the tree or fluttering from 

 branch to branch, they must not be left much longer 

 before shooting, or they will wander and be lost. A 

 very few days will then make all the difference ; and 

 so it has often happened that men expecting to make 

 a great bag have been quite disappointed, notwith- 

 standing the evident number of nests ; the shooting 

 has been held a day or so too late. The young birds 

 get the use of their wings very quickly, and their 

 instinct rather seems to be to wander than to remain 

 in the immediate vicinity of their birthplace. 



Some think that the old birds endeavor to entice 

 them away as much as possible, knowing what is 

 coining. It may be doubted if that is the case with 

 respect to the very young birds ; but when the young 

 ones are capable of something like extended flight, 

 and can cross a field without much difficulty, I think 

 the parents do attempt to lead them away. When 

 the shooting is in progress, if you will go a little 



