354 SHOOTING. 



Rooks are gregarious, and feed on grain, worms, 

 and insects. It is only during the season of incu- 

 bation, and until the young ones can fly, that they 

 frequent the rookery, which is mostly a small plan- 

 tation, or clump of elm trees, and near to some habi- 

 tation. When rooks choose any particular cluster 

 of trees, or plantation to build in, the same trees 

 will, if standing, be tenanted again the next year by 

 the same rooks and their offspring, notwithstanding 

 they may have been much fired at, or in some other 

 way disturbed. This opinion is not universal. In 

 some counties there exists a prejudice against the 

 practice of firing at rooks with gunpowder, especi- 

 ally when the rooks are few, and the number of 

 trees limited, lest the rooks should desert the rook- 

 ery ; and, therefore, that as little alarm as possible 

 may be created, they are fired at with balls from 

 the air-gun, and sometimes the young shooter will 

 try his skill with the cross-bow. 



After young rooks have been fired at several 

 times, some of the strongest and best-fledged will 

 quit the rookery, and alight on hedges or trees at 

 some distance, and during these short flights, they 

 afford good sport to the tyro learning to shoot 

 birds on the wing. A warm sunny day is best for 

 rook-shooting. In cold weather, particularly on 

 windy days, young rooks will not quit their nests. 



The old rook is distinguished from the young of 

 the first year by the base of either mandible being 

 destitute of feathers, and the skin covered with a 

 whitish scurf ; the beak of the young rook is black 

 to the insertion. They are distinguished from 



