282 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



oppressiveness, so to say; it is a little like falling 

 water, but may be best likened, perhaps, to a vast 

 invisible broom sweeping the sky. Every now and 

 then a rook passes with ragged wing several feathers 

 gone, so that you can see daylight through it ; some- 

 times the feathers are missing from the centre, leav- 

 ing a great gap, so that it looks as if the bird had a 

 large wing on this side and on the other two narrow 

 ones. There is a rough resemblance between these 

 and the torn sails of some of the old windmills which 

 have become dark in colour from long exposure to 

 the weather, and have been rent by the storms of 

 years. Rooks can fly with gaps of astonishing size 

 in their wings, and do not seem much incommoded 

 by the loss caused, doubtless, by a charge of shot 

 in the rook-shooting, or by the small sharp splinters 

 of flint with which the birdkeepers sometimes load 

 their guns, not being allowed to use shot. 



Near their nesting-trees their black feathers may 

 be picked up by dozens in the grass ; they beat them 

 out occasionally against the small boughs, and some- 

 times in fighting. If seen from behind, the wings of 

 the rook, as he spreads them and glides, slowly de- 

 scending, preparatory to alighting, slightly turn up at 

 the edges like the rim of a hat, but much less curved. 

 From a distance as he flies he appears to preserve a 

 level course, neither rising nor falling ; but if observed 

 nearer it will be seen that with every stroke of the 

 wings the body is lifted some inches, and sinks as 

 much immediately afterwards, 



