104 CORVDLE. 



of Rooks built a nest and produced their young on the 

 outer branch of an old elm -tree, near the Park entrance to 

 Broughton Castle, Oxfordshire, as recorded by F. Wyatt 

 in the Zoologist for March, 1845. 



Rooks, like some others of the Crow tribe, have been 

 occasionally tamed, and taught to perform many amusing 

 tricks, becoming greatly attached to those who fed and 

 protected them. Mr. Hewitson has heard the Rook imi- 

 tate the note of the Jackdaw. Mr. Macgillivray men- 

 tions having repeatedly heard one " that imitated so re- 

 markably well the barking of several dogs in the village 

 that, had it been placed out of view, it would have been 

 impossible to have discovered the deception ; " and adds 

 besides, that when making a visit of observation to a 

 rookery, he was surprised to hear several Rooks uttering a 

 variety of soft, clear, modulated notes, very unlike their 

 usual cry. " In the intervals," it is observed, " I could 

 distinguish the faint shrill voice of the newly-hatched 

 young, which their mothers, I felt persuaded, were fondling 

 and coaxing in this manner. Indeed the sounds were 

 plainly expressive of affection, and a desire to please." 

 The numerous muscles already described as belonging to 

 all the species of the Crow tribe, sufficiently account for 

 the powers here manifested by the Rook. 



This bird is probably nowhere more common than in 

 England and Ireland ; but decreases in numbers as you 

 proceed northward in Scotland, and is not found in Orkney 

 or Shetland. A few are observed in Denmark, the south- 

 ern part of Sweden, Russia, and northern Asia. It is said 

 to be somewhat migratory over part of the European con- 

 tinent, and is not found in Guernsey or Jersey, though 

 observed occasionally to fly across the Channel from this 

 country. It is found in Corfu, Sicily, and Malta, but does 

 not remain all the year. It has been found also in the 



