184 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



they return in long strings from the foraging of the day, 

 and rendezvous by thousands over Selborne-down where 

 they wheel round in the air and sport and dive in a playful 

 manner, all the while exerting their voices, and making a 

 loud cawing, which, being blended and softened by the 

 distance that we at the village are below them, becomes 

 a confused noise or chiding ; or rather a pleasing murmur, 

 very engaging to the imagination, and not unlike the cry 

 of a pack of hounds in hollow, echoing woods, or the 

 rushing of the wind in tall trees, or the tumbling of the 

 tide upon a pebbly shore. When this ceremony is over, 

 with the last gleam of day, they retire for the night to the 

 deep beechen woods of Tisted and Ropley. We remember 

 a little girl who, as she was going to bed, used to remark 

 on such an occurrence, in the true spirit of physico-theology, 

 that the rooks were saying their prayers ; and yet this child 

 was much too young to be aware that the scriptures have 

 said of the Deity that "he feedeth the ravens who call 

 upon him." I am, &c. 



