140 THE ROOK. 



retire to roost, still I can never see a carrion crow 

 build its nest in a rookery. There was always a 

 carrion crow's nest here, in a clump of high Scotch 

 pines, near the stables, till the rooks got possession 

 of the trees ; the carrion couple then forsook the 

 place: the rooks were dislodged from this clump of 

 trees ; and then a pair of carrion crows (the same, 

 for aught I know to the contrary) came and built 

 their nest in it. 



The rook lays from three to five eggs, varying 

 much, like those of the carrion crow, in colour, 

 shape, and size. After the rooks have built, and 

 even lined their nests, they leave them, on the ap- 

 proach of night, to repair to the general rendezvous 

 at Nostell Priory ; but, as soon as they begin to lay, 

 they then no longer quit the trees at night, until 

 they have reared their young. When this has been 

 effected, we see large flocks of them resorting to 

 the different woods of the neighbourhood, to pass 

 the night. This they continue to do till a few days 

 before the autumnal equinox, when, for reasons 

 which baffle all conjecture, they begin to pass over 

 this valley every morning in a westerly direction, 

 and return in the evening to their eastern roosting- 

 place in the woods of Nostell Priory. 



Rooks are observed to keep up a very close and 

 friendly intercourse with starlings and jackdaws ; 

 but, on looking at them in the fields, the observer 

 will perceive, that, while the jackdaws mix promis- 

 cuously with the rooks, both in their flight and 

 in searching for food, the starlings always keep in 

 their own flock. This circumstance has long engaged 



