THE ROOK. ill 



Attention to its young. 



during the autumnal and wintry months, to 

 the closest coverts of the forest, having spent the 

 day in the open fields and inclosures in quest of 

 food. 



But although the forest may be called their 

 winter habitation, they generally visit their nur- 

 sery every day ; preserving the idea of a family, 

 which they begin to make provision for very 

 early in the ensuing spring. 



Dr. Darwin has remarked, that an apprehen- 

 sion of danger from mankind is much more ap- 

 parent in rooks than in most other birds. It is 

 also worthy of remark, that they evidently dis- 

 tinguish the danger is greater when a man is 

 armed with a gun than when he has no weapon 

 in his hands. In the spring of the year, if a per- 

 son happen to walk under a rookery with a gun 

 in his hand, the inhabitants of the trees rise on 

 the wing, and scream to the unfledged young to 

 shrink into their nests from the sight of the 

 enemy. From this circumstance the peasants 

 assert that rooks can smell gunpowder. 



Mr. Latham remarks, that these birds remain 

 in England during the whole year ; but both in 

 France and Silesia they migrate. And the same 

 writer adds, " it is a singular circumstance, that 

 the island of Jersey should be entirely without 

 rooks ; particularly when we know that they fre-* 

 quently fly over from our country into France." 



