50 THE CROW FAMILY 



sticks have once been dropped they are allowed to lie, though excep- 

 tions to this rule are recorded. 1 



Here we may revert to the interesting question of the meaning of 

 the daily visits to the rookery made both by rooks and daws during 

 the autumn and winter months. The facts are supplied almost 

 entirely by the former species, and are as follows : The birds may be 

 seen occupied with their nests, repairing them or merely removing 

 leaves and other material, almost at any time from September onwards, 

 especially on fine days. In September, October, and November they 

 have been frequently seen either completely renovating old nests or 

 building entirely new structures. One example will suffice, taken from 

 volume xxviii. of the Field, 1866 (381). In this case five rooks were seen 

 to alight on a tree where there was a nest. One proceeded to pull out 

 some sticks and let them fall, after which he commenced steadily the 

 work of reconstruction, breaking off fresh twigs, and intertwining them 

 as industriously as if the nest had been required for immediate use. 

 Directly the repairs had been commenced, the other rooks appeared 

 determined to dispute the possession, and there was a great clamour 

 and fighting among them. The owner of the nest was joined by its 

 mate, and the aggressors driven off. One of the pair continued to 

 work, the other standing on guard. An instance is also recorded of a 

 new rookery being started in October. 



The length to which these building operations are carried appears 

 to depend upon the weather, an inclement day bringing them to 

 a standstill. But that they are undertaken with a definite view to 

 immediate breeding is abundantly proved by records of eggs laid and 

 young hatched in October, November, and even December. The 

 intervention of cold spells no doubt brings most of these matrimonial 

 ventures to an untimely end. Their occurrence, let us add, is by no 

 means limited to rooks. The crow has been observed nesting in 

 October ; the robin in November, December, and January ; the wren 

 in October, December, January; the song-thrush, mallard, wood- 



1 W. H. Hudson, Birds and Man, p. 71. 



