100 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



They are often preceded, as White observes,* by 

 a flight of daws, which act the part of avant-couriers. 

 After their arrival at the rookery, they do not settle 

 to roost immediately, but continue sailing round and 

 round the trees, or hovering over them, till they al- 

 most darken the vault of heaven with their accumu- 

 lated numbers, and deafen the observer standing be- 

 neath with their cries. 



The common pheasant, as is well known, betrays 

 the place of his repose by his reiterated crowing. 

 The cock bird, for the hen appears to be nearly 

 mute on these occasions, springs from the ground on 

 to the tree selected for roosting, with a harsh scream 

 that continues unremitted till he has assumed his 

 perch ; it is then softened into a more harmonious 

 crow, consisting of two or in some cases three notes, 

 which are repeated at intervals for a considerable 

 time. Besides this cry, which is heard to a consi- 

 derable distance, there is a weak inward noise im- 

 mediately following, which sounds exactly like an 

 echo of the first, consisting of the same notes, only 

 in a different key, and uttered very softly. To hear 

 this distinctly, it is necessary for the observer to be 

 almost immediately under the tree on which the 

 pheasant is perched. Some individuals crow in a 

 much shriller key altogether than others : such, per- 

 haps, are the young cocks of the year. 



House sparrows assemble together in immense 

 bodies at the approach of sunset, more especially in 

 winter, when the shrubs in the garden at such times 



* Nat. Hist, of Selb. Lett. XVII. to D. Barrington. 



