128 WILD NATURE IN STKATHEARN. 



"always appeared to me the clergymen amongst 

 birds grave, black-coated, sententious, with an 

 eye to a snug sylvan abode and plenty of 

 titles. Their clerkly character is now mixed 

 up in my imagination with something of the 

 lawyer." 



It would be easy to write a long treatise 

 on the Rook his early rising, his silent morning 

 flights, his gathering into flocks, and noisy return 

 in the evening, &c., &c., but who with eyes 

 open does not see all this, or can see it almost 

 every day ? also the building of their nests, 

 the industry displayed in repairing the old 

 biggin', the gathering of new material, the guard- 

 ing of same when got, and the fights that ensue 

 when " a stronger than he " tries to steal from 

 his neighbour. 



" Those lofty elms and venerable oaks 



Invite the Rook, who, high amid the boughs, 

 In early spring his airy city builds." 



When the young are hatched the old birds 

 assiduously attend to their wants, and at that 



