66 FRESH WOODS. 



rooks are uncommonly cautious, diplomatic 

 birds. I notice that whenever there are six 

 on the lawn, there is always a signalman 

 perched up on a high branch of a neighbour- 

 ing tree, and no sooner does a biped or 

 quadruped approach within what his obser- 

 vant eye deems to be the radius of danger, 

 than he gives a loud caw-caw, and off they 

 go for a short time ; but if they happen to be 

 hungry, and the worms or crumbs are plenti- 

 ful, they are sure to return first to the tallest 

 trees, then, if the coast is clear, they drop 

 down one by one and resume business, but 

 always leaving one sentinel aloft. 



I was startled one afternoon lately from a 

 doze in the summer-house by a great scream- 

 ing and caw-cawing in the apple trees. On 

 looking up I found the noise was made by an 

 impetuous, hungry young rook whose mother 

 could not feed him fast enough. She had got 

 one of my mellowest apples in her clutches 

 and was pecking bits off it ; she ate none 

 herself, but crammed the bits down her son's 

 throat as fast as she could separate them, 

 which was no easy task, for she had to clutch 

 the apple with one foot and hold on to the 

 branch with the other. I forgave her for 

 stealing my apple on account of the motherly 

 affection she was showing to her noisy and 



