Flying against a Gale. 247 



tending wind balancing each other, and holding him 

 suspended. Then he rises again, but still finding the 

 current too strong, tacks like a ship to port or star- 

 board, and so works aslant into the gale. Shortly 

 afterwards, he comes down again, if the field be a 

 large one, and glides forward in the same manner as 

 before, close to the surface. In crossing the lake 

 too, against the wind, he flies within a few feet of 

 the water. 



During such a gale a rook may often be seen 

 struggling to get over a row of trees, and stationary, 

 though using his wings vigorously, suspended a little 

 -way above the topmost branches. Frequently he 

 has to give up the attempt, turn back, and make a 

 detour. 



Though rooks usually go in flocks, individuals 

 sometimes get separated, and may be seen flying 

 alone on the way to rejoin their friends. A flock 

 of rooks, on rising, occasionally divides into two or 

 more parties. Each section wheels off on its own 

 course, while sometimes a small number of those 

 who chance to be near the centre of the original 

 formation seern at a loss which company to follow, 

 and settle down again on the field. So a dozen or 

 more become separated from the crowd, and pres- 

 ently, when they rise, they too divide ; three or four 

 fly one way to join one section, and others take 

 another route. Individuals thus find themselves 

 alone ; but that causes them no uneasiness, as they 

 have their well-known places of rendezvous, and 

 have only to fly to certain fields to be sure of meet- 

 ing their friends, or at most to wait about near the 

 nesting-trees till the rest come. 



