THE ROOK. 105 



Difficulties attendant on building. 



such troublesome neighbours. A quarrel there-* 

 fore instantly ensues ; in which the old ones are 

 always victorious. 



" The young couple, thus expelled, are obliged 

 again to go through the fatigues of deliberating, 

 examining and choosing ; and having taken care 

 to keep their due distance, begin their nest again, 

 and their industry deserves commendation. But 

 their alacrity is often too great in the beginning; 

 they soon grow weary of bringing the materials 

 for their nest from distant places, and they easily 

 perceive that sticks may be provided nearer 

 home, with less honesty, indeed, but with some 

 degree of address. Away they go, therefore, to 

 pilfer as fast as they can ; and whenever they see 

 a nest unguarded, they take care to rob it of the 

 choicest sticks of which it is composed. But 

 these thefts never go unpunished ; and sometimes 

 a sort of general punishment is inflicted. I have 

 seen eight or ten rooks come upon such occasi- 

 ons, and setting upon the new nest of the young 

 couple all at once, tear it to pieces in a moment. 



" At length, therefore, the young pair find the 

 necessity of going more regularly and honestly 

 to work. While one flies to fetch the materials, 

 the other sits upon the tree to guard it ; and thus 

 in the space of three or four days, with a skir- 

 mish now and then between, the pair have fitted 

 up a commodious nest composed of sticks with- 

 out, and of fibrous roots and long grass within. 

 From the instant the female begins to lay, alj 



VOL. III. NO, XVIII. O 



