184 TtJE COMMON ROOK. 



gray of the morning, as it is appointed the earliest 

 of risers, it would commonly be famished. In the 

 hot summer of 1825, many of the young brood of 

 the season perished from want ; the mornings were 

 without dew, and consequently few or no worms 

 were to be obtained; and we found them dead 

 under the trees, having expired on their roostings. 

 It was particularly distressing, for no relief could 

 be given, to hear the constant clamour and im- 

 portunity of the young for food. The old birds 

 seemed to suffer without complaint ; but the wants 

 of their offspring were expressed by the unceasing 

 cry of hunger, and pursuit of their parents for 

 supply, and our fields were scenes of daily restless- 

 ness and lament. Yet, amid all this distress, it 

 was pleasing to observe the perseverance of the old 

 birds in the endeavour to relieve their famishing 

 families, as many of them remained out searching 

 for food quite in the dusk, and returned to their 

 roosts long after the usual period for retiring. In 

 this extremity it becomes a plunderer, to which by 

 inclination it is not much addicted, and resorts to 

 our newly set potato fields, digging out the cut- 

 tings. Hanks are seen sadly defective, the result 

 of its labours, I fear ; and the request of my 

 neighbours now and then for a bird from my 

 rookery, to hang up in terrorem in their fields, is 

 confirmatory of its bad name. In autumn a ripe 

 pear, or a walnut, becomes an irresistible tempta- 



