38 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



lagged behind and came tardy, him they tear in 

 pieces, and then depart*." 



It is not improbable, we think, that this legend 

 (for it can be nothing more) of the crow- courts has 

 originated in the quarrels which take place when 

 rooks are building their nests f, in consequence of their 

 propensity to pilfer. In such cases, as Goldsmith 

 records from his own observation, " thefts never go 

 unpunished ; and probably, upon complaint being 

 made, there is a general punishment inflicted: I 

 have seen," he adds, " eight or ten rooks come, upon 

 such occasions, and setting upon the new nest of the 

 young couple, all at once tear it in pieces in a mo- 

 ment. Such is the severity with which even native 

 rooks are treated ; but if a foreign rook should 

 attempt to make himself a denizen of their society, 

 he would meet with no favour; the whole grove 

 would at once be up in arms against him and expel 

 him without mercy {." 



Rooks, if we may judge from our own observation, 

 are more particular even than sparrows in the cir- 

 cumstance of having sentinels while they are feeding 

 in parties after the breeding season ; for while pro- 

 viding for their young family, they, in general, cater 

 apart. These rook sentinels are so vigilant, that it 

 is by no means easy to get within shot of a foraging 

 party ; and hence it is popularly believed that rooks 

 can smell gunpowder. We have often proved, 

 however, that it is just as difficult to approach them 

 without alarming the sentinels, when only carrying 

 an umbrella as when armed with a fowling-piece ; 

 but that they seem to have some knowledge of fire- 

 arms appears from their being alarmed if a walking- 

 stick is levelled at them, though no noise is made, 



* Holland's Plinie, x. 23. 



f See Architecture of Birds, p. $19. 



J Animated Nature, iii. 168. 



