128 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



poem written by Mrs. Curteis, the wife of Canon 

 Curteis of Lichfield. 



Nearly thirty years ago there were some great 

 elms in Brunswick Square, which is about the centre 

 of the city of Bristol ; these had been taken possession 

 of by a colony of rooks. This square was built at 

 the time when the old merchants had not yet begun 

 to forsake their dwellings over their offices to go out 

 to homes in the suburbs. On the north side of the 

 square was a chapel, and immediately opposite to 

 this, across the square, a fine old mansion, which had 

 for many years belonged to one of the old Bristol 

 worthies and his descendants. In it, at the time of 

 which we speak, there lived an old lady who had been 

 for many years an invalid, and who was confined to 

 one room which overlooked the square. To relieve 

 the monotony of her days she always amused herself 

 by watching the people go in and out of chapel ; and 

 when the rooks occupied the old elms she observed 

 and noted all their proceedings with great interest, 

 and found that they always returned after the winter 

 to inspect before rebuilding their nests for the 

 breeding season on a Sunday. Just after the bells 

 had ceased ringing for morning service, and the con- 

 gregation had gone into the chapel, the pioneer rook 

 appeared and perched on one of the elms. After 



