284 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



This great stream of rooks passing over the hills 

 meets another great stream as it approaches the wood, 

 crossing up from the meadows. From the rampart 

 there may be seen, perhaps a mile and a half away, 

 a dim black line crossing at right angles converging 

 on the wood, which itself stands on the edge of the 

 table-land from which the steeper downs arise. This 

 second army is every whit as numerous, as lengthy, 

 and as regular in its route as the first. 



Every morning, from the beech trees where they 

 have slept, safe at that elevation from all the dangers 

 of the night, there set out these two vast expeditionary 

 corps. Regularly the one flies steadily eastwards over 

 the downs ; as regularly the other flies steadily north- 

 wards over the vale and meadows. Doubtless in 

 different country districts their habits in this respect 

 vary ; but here it is always east and always north. 

 If any leave the wood for the south or the west, as 

 probably they do, they go in small bodies, and are 

 quickly lost sight of. The two main divisions sail 

 towards the sunrise and towards the north star. 



They preserve their ranks for at least two miles 

 from the wood, and then gradually first one and 

 then another company falls out, and, wheeling round, 

 descends upon some favourite field, till by degrees, 

 spreading out like a fan, the army melts away. In 

 the evening the various companies, which may by that 

 time have worked far to the right or to the left, grad- 

 ually move into line. By-and-by the vanguard conies 

 sweeping up, and each regiment rises from the meadow 



