great degree, having no great plenty even of the 

 wretshed food on which they subsist. 



In America wherever the hunters go, who pursue 

 beasts for their skins, these birds pursue them. They 

 still keep hovering at a little distance ; and when they 

 ee the beast (lead and abandoned, they call out to 

 each other, pour down upon the carcase, and in an 

 instant, pick its bones as clean as if they had been 

 scraped, by knife. 



Rooks keep together in pairs ; and when the 

 offices of courtship arc over, prepare for making 

 their nests and laying. The old inhabitants of the 

 place are already provided ; the nest which served 

 them for years before, with a little dressing will serve 

 again ; the difficulty of nestling lies only upon the 

 young ones who have no rest. And not only the 

 materials arc wanting, but also the place in which 

 to fix it. Every part of a tree will not do for this 

 purpose, as some branches may not be sufficiently 

 forked ; others may not be sufficiently strong ; and 

 others may be too much exposed to the rockings of 

 the wind. 



The male and female upon this occasion are, for/ 

 some days, seen examining all the trees of the grove 

 very attentively, and when they have fixed upon a 

 branch fit for that purpose, they continue to sit upon 

 and observe it very sedulously lor two or three days 

 longer. 



The place being determined, they begin to gather 

 the materials ; such as sticks and fibrous roots, which 

 they regularly dispose in the most substantial man- 

 ner. But here a new and unexpected obstacle arises,, 

 it often happens that the young couple have made 

 choice of a place too near the mansion of an older, 

 pair, who do not chuse to be incommoded by neigh, 

 bours. A quarrel therefore instantly ensues, in which 

 the old ones are always victorious. 



The young couple thus expelled, are obliged again, 

 to go through the fatigues of examining, and chus. 



