148 TORTOISE ROOKS. 



still continues in this garden ; and retired under ground about 

 the 20th of November, and came out again for one day on the 

 30th : it lies now buried in a wet swampy border under a wall 

 facing to the south, and is enveloped at present in mud and 

 mire! 



Here is a large rookery round tins house, tbe inhabitants of 

 which seem to get their livelihood very easily ; for they spend 

 the greatest part of the day on their nest-trees when the 

 weather is mild. These rooks retire every evening, all the 

 water, from this rookery, where they only call by the way, as 

 they are going to roost in deep woods : at the dawn of day, 

 they always revisit their nest-trees,* and are preceded a few 

 minutes by a flight of daws, that act, as it were, as their har- 

 bingers, f 



* Rooks are not easily driven from the trees on which they were bred. 

 Two striking instances of this have recently been witnessed in Edinburgh, 

 on the grounds of the Earl of Moray, which have all been lately 

 converted into magnificent streets and squares. Several rooks continue 

 on the few remaining trees at the end of Ainslie Place ; and at St 

 Bernard's Crescent, which is surrounded on both sides with houses, the 

 rooks still incubate. 



Mr Jesse makes the following curious remarks, illustrative of the 

 attachment of this bird to its old accustomed haunts, and to the established 

 usages of its tribe : " The average number of rooks' nests, during the 

 last four years, in the avenue of Hampton- Court Park, has been about 

 seven hundred and fifty. Allowing three young birds and a pair of 

 old ones to each nest, the number would amount to three thousand 

 seven hundred and fifty. They are very particular that none of their 

 society build away from the usual line of trees. A pair of rooks did so 

 this spring, 1832, and when their nest was nearly finished, at least fifty 

 others came and demolished it in a few minutes." 



Differently from all other birds, rooks exhibit much sympathy when 

 one of their fraternity has been killed, or hurt by a shot. They hover 

 over their wounded companion, uttering cries of distress, and endeavouring 

 all in their power to render him assistance. If he be able to flutter along, 

 they animate him with their voices, and by advancing a little in front. 

 try to induce him by their example to follow. ED. 



f The jack-daw is a bird of great intelligence ; is easily domesticated, 

 and becomes very familiar. We had a pair in Fife, which flew about 

 all our grounds, and even to the villages around, yet never strayed. They 

 slept in a box, at a back window of the house. They entered the house, 

 and even allowed themselves to be handled. They caught in their bill 

 with great adroitness pieces of bread which were thrown to them. They 

 followed the different members of our family through all the walks of 

 the garden and shrubbery, and would perch on a tree, near the seats, and 

 chatter while any person rested. One of them pronounced several words 

 very distinctly ; such as wee kaeie, (little kae, the Scottish provincial 

 name,) and come here. They were much addicted to stealing, and carried 



