THE ROOK. 107 



Rook's nest built on a spire. 



about by every change of the wind. They re- 

 turned and built their nest every year on the 

 same place, till the year 1793, soon after which 

 the spire was taken down. This circumstance 

 excited such general interest, and became so po- 

 pular a topic in the neighbourhood, that a small 

 copper- plate was engraved, of the size of a watch- 

 paper, with a representation of the top of the 

 spire and the nest ; and so much pleased were 

 the inhabitants and other persons with it, -that as 

 many impressions were sold as produced to the 

 engraver the sum often pounds. 



Mr. Hutchinson relates a remarkable circum- 

 stance respecting these birds which occurred a 

 few years ago at a gentleman's seat in West- 

 moreland. There were two groves adjoining to 

 the park; one of which had for several years 

 been the resort of a number of herons, that an- 

 nually built and bred there. In the other was a 

 very large rookery. For a long time the two 

 tribes lived peaceably together. At length, in 

 tiie spring of 1775, the trees of the heronry were 

 cut down, and the young brood perished by the 

 lull of the timber. The parent birds, not willing 

 to be driven from the place, endeavoured to effect 

 a settlement in the rookery. The rooks made 

 an obstinate resistance; but, after a desperate 

 contest, in the course of which many of the rooks 

 and some of the herons lost their lives, the latter 

 at length succeeded in obtaining possession of 

 of ihe trees, and that very spring bu-ilt 



