Crows in a Rookery 187 



but vaguely differentiated, and there is an old proverb which 

 makes it lucky to have " crows " come and build in trees 

 one has oneself planted. Hence Crows' nests are often 

 welcomed near a house, and it is remarkable how quick the 

 birds are to recognise their changed circumstances, and to 

 throw off their long acquired shyness. I have seen a Carrion 

 Crow fearlessly feeding her brood within ten yards of the 

 drawing-room window of a suburban villa, the proud owner 

 of which, by the way, steadfastly maintained that the birds 

 were Rooks. The nest was built near the top of a stiff and 

 formal Picea nobilis, rather an interesting, because so unusual, 

 site for so large a nest. 



Crows frequently, too, find safety by hiding their other- 

 wise conspicuous nest in or about a rookery, where, to 

 distinguish it from those of the more legitimate occupiers of 

 the wood, is often a matter of no small difficulty. It has 

 frequently been stated in print that the presence of a pair of 

 Crows in such circumstances means disaster to the rookery, 

 but I can only think that such statements are the result of 

 imperfect observation. " Hawks don't pick out hawks' 

 een," is a proverb which must not, perhaps, be taken too 

 literally ; but there are several rookeries known to me in 

 which a pair of Crows have had their dwelling for many 

 years without ill effect upon the Rooks, or ill-will borne on 

 either side ; and similar instances of good-fellowship are 

 common enough throughout the country to convince any- 

 one, except the faddist, or the sceptic, on what slender 

 foundation the accusation hangs. Occasional rogues are, 

 doubtless, to be found in every family ; but we need not, on 

 that account, condemn the whole tribe. Much more 

 improbable looking interlopers than Crows are sometimes 

 tolerated in a rookery. I have known a pair of Kestrels to 

 occupy, regularly, an old Rook's nest, in the very centre of 

 an ancient rookery many hundreds of nests strong ; and 

 have known, as long as I can remember, another case in 

 which a brood of Brown Owls have been annually reared in 

 precisely similar circumstances. Neither the hawks nor the 

 owls disturb their sable neighbours ; but, what is much more 

 interesting, the Rooks never interfere with them, nor resent 



