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 in 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 gain from such communal- 
ism ? These are favourite questions with 
persons informed with an intelligent passion 
for acquiring information, and the best 
49 E 
