THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



remote. The earliest settlers in some of these London 

 rookeries found their food in the fields below the trees ; 

 their latest descendants have to fly miles to and fro for 

 every morsel they eat or on which they nourish their 

 broods. Not only so, but these town Rooks seem to be 

 born with an inherited love for the Metropolis, and 

 actually found new colonies wherever a suitable spot 

 occurs. One of the most interesting examples of this 

 fact known to me, and, indeed, one of the most interesting 

 rookeries in London, is situated in the gardens between 

 Calcott Road and Torbay Road, at Brondesbury. Up- 

 wards of a dozen nests occupy some low trees of an age 

 about the same as the houses near them. The most 

 amazing thing is that the Rooks should have settled in 

 such a pent-up spot when plenty of better sites exist in 

 the neighbourhood. Pages of interesting matter could be 

 filled relating to the idiosyncrasies of the Rook, but we 

 must now pass on to a brief review of its habits. The 

 bird is by far the most social and gregarious of the British 

 Crows, and lives in societies throughout the year For 

 the most part the Rooks breeding in London leave the 

 nest-trees as soon as the young can fly, only resorting to 

 them for nesting purposes, and passing the remainder 

 of the year on the fields and open spaces, roosting in 

 certain spots regularly. The Rook flies powerfully with a 

 measured beat of wing, but sometimes performs various 

 aerial evolutions, notably one called " shooting," or 

 descending quickly from a great height almost per- 

 pendicularly to the ground or trees below. Country 

 people say this portends wind. The note of the Rook is 

 too well known to require description here, the familiar 

 caw being by no means an unpleasing sound. The food 

 of this bird consists chiefly of worms, grubs, grain, acorns, 

 and any carrion that may chance to fall in the bird's 

 way. It is a bird of great use to the farmer and gardener, 

 and deserves every encouragement from man. The Rook 

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