A Rookery in Ruins. 207 



insects had discovered that in a land where " the flowers 

 never fade, and the leaves never fall " there was food 

 provided for them throughout the entire year, and no 

 need of their toiling to lay up store of it. 



A ROOKERY IN RUINS. 



Returning to the rooks. These birds, however other- 

 wise cunning, do not display this quality in the construc- 

 tion of their nests, which are so unskilfully put together 

 as often to be partially or wholly blown down soon as 

 built. Even an entire rookery has been known to go 

 " by the board " under a spring equinoctial. Such a case 

 occurred some years ago with a rookery belongiug to a 

 gentleman of my acquaintance in Worcestershire. The 

 birds had nearly or altogether finished building, when a 

 blast came that swept every nest out of the trees, scatter- 

 ing the sticks in litter all over the adjacent ground. The 

 owner of the rookery was present to witness its ruin, and 

 describes it as one of the oddest spectacles he ever 

 beheld ; from the forlorn, dejected air of the birds, as 

 they sate upon the branches in clamorous council, some 

 cawing loudly and in seeming auger, others in tone of 

 doleful lamentation, just as human beings might act 

 under a kindred misfortune. Indeed, their whole be- 

 haviour reminded him of the latter, the resemblance so 

 quaintly comical that he, and others with him, could not 

 keep from laughter. 



