DIKDS. 



101 



made choice of a place too near the mansion of an older i)air, 

 who do not choose to be incommoded by such troublesome 

 neighbours. A quarrel therefore instantly ensues, in which the 

 old ones are always victorious. 



The young couple, thus expelled, are obliged again to g'J 

 throtiirh the fatigues of deliberating, examining, and choosi ng ; 

 and having taken care to keep their due distance, the nest begins 

 again, and their industry deserves commendation. But their 

 alacrity is often too great in the begimiing; they soon grow 

 weary of bringing the materials of their nest from distant places ; 

 and they very easily perceive that sticks may be provided nearer 

 home, with less honesty, indeed, but 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 very choicest sticks of which it is composed. But these 

 thefts never go unpunished ; and probably upon complaint being 

 made there is a general punishment inflicted. I have seen eight 

 or ten rooks come upon such occasions, and, setting upon the 

 new nest of the young couple all at once, tear it in pieces in a 

 moment. 



At length, therefore, the young pair find the necessity of going 

 more regularly and honestly to work. While one fiies 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 skirmish now and then 

 between, the pair have fitted up a commodious nest, composed 

 of sticks without, and of fibrous roots and long grass within. 

 From the instant the female begins to lay, all hostilities are at 

 an end ; not one of the whole grove, that a little before treated 

 her so rudely, will now venture to molest her ; so that she brings 

 forth her brood with patient tranquillity. Such is the severity 

 with which even native rooks are treated by each other ; but if 

 a foreign rook should attempt to make himself a denizen of their 

 society, he would meet with no favour ; the whole grove would 

 at once be up in arms against him, and expel him without 

 mercy. 



In some countries these birds are considered as a benefit, in 

 others as a nuisance -. their chief food is the worm of the dor- 

 beetle, and corn ; thus they may be said to do as much service 

 by destroying that noxious insect, as they do injury by consum 

 ijig the produce of the husbandman's industry. 



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