Rooks Diving. 245 



haps where they are very numerous, they do much 

 more good than harm. 



Rooks may now and then be seen in the autumn, 

 on the hayricks ; they pull the thatch out, and will 

 do in this way an injury to the roof. Therefore old 

 black bottles are often placed on the thatch in order 

 to scare them. It is said that they pull out the 

 straw for the stray grains left in the ear by the 

 threshing-machine. This seems doubtful. It ap- 

 pears more probable that some insect found on the 

 straw attracts them. 



If you are walking past a feeding flock, the nearest 

 rook to you will often exhibit a ridiculous indecision 

 as to whether he shall fly or not. He stretches his 

 neck and leans forward as if about to spring, stops, 

 utters a questioning ' Cawk ? ' then watches you a 

 moment and gives a hop, just opens his wings, shuts 

 them, and descends within a couple of feet. ' Cawk ! ' 

 again. Finally, if you turn from your course and 

 make a step towards him, he rises, flaps his wings 

 three or four times, extends them, and glides a dozen 

 yards to alight once more. 



Sometimes a flock will rise in the air, and silently 

 wheel round and round after each other, gradually 

 ascending and drifting slowly with the current till 

 they reach a great height. When they soar like this 

 it is said to foretell fine weather. At another time 

 a flock will go up and wheel about in the strangest 

 irregular manner. Every now and then one will 

 extend his wings, holding them rigid, and dive 

 downwards, in his headlong descent wavering to 

 and fro like a sheet of paper falling edge first. He 

 falls at a great pace, and looks as if he must be 



