ROOKS AND ROOKERIES. 53 



pole supports another, and in many of the outlying 

 oaks and firs the birds have chosen sites and are busy at 

 work. What a Babel of sounds ! What animation and 

 excitement ! Some of the birds are standing sentinel- 

 like on or by the side of half-formed nests ; others are 

 breaking off slender twigs from adjoining trees, always 

 flying clear of the branches with their sticks, and 

 conveying them to the nest by the most open and 

 unobstructed route. Other Rooks may be seen flying 

 from the neighbouring fields with turf, mud, moss, 

 and dry grass ; whilst many more are engaged in noisy 

 converse high up in the bending branches overhead. 

 At this season of the year the Rook is rather quarrel- 

 some with its neighbours, and combats often take place 

 which throw the entire community into a state of 

 feverish excitement. So fiercely are these quarrels 

 carried on that very often one of the combatants falls 

 dead or dying to the ground. The smallest squabble 

 sends a thrill of uproar through the entire rookery, and 

 many birds may be seen bending backwards and 

 forwards on the boughs cawing lustily, seemingly for no 

 other purpose than to increase the general noise. 



Rooks are full of strange caprices during the nest- 

 building period. For instance, I have often known 

 several pairs of birds make their nests half a mile from 

 the rookery in an outlying plantation. All has gone on 

 as usual until the nests have been nearly ready for eggs, 



