THE ROOK. 325 



has developed them to the utmost, makes the following remarks 

 upon the roosting of this bird : — 



* There is no wild bird in England so completely gregarious 

 as the Rook, or so regular in its daily movements. The ring- 

 doves will assemble in countless multitudes, the finches will 

 unite in vast assemblies, and waterfowl will flock in thousands 

 to the protected lakes, during the weary months of winter; but 

 when the returning sun spreads joy and consolation over the 

 face of nature, these congregated numbers are dissolved, and 

 the individuals retire in pairs to propagate their respective 

 species. The Rook, however, remains in society the year 

 throughout. In flocks it builds its nest, in flocks it seeks for 

 food, and in flocks it retires to roost. 



' About two miles to the eastward of this place are the woods 

 of Nostell Priory, where from tune immemorial the Rooks have 

 retired to pass the night. I suspect, by the observations which 

 I have been able to make on the morning and evening transit 

 of these birds, that there is not another roosting-place for at 

 least thirty miles to the westward of N'ostell Priory. Every 

 momirig, from within a few days of the autumnal to about a 

 week before the vernal equinox, the Rooks, in congregated 

 thousands upon thousands, fly over the valley in a westerly 

 direction, and return in undiminished numbers to the nest, an 

 hour or so before the night sets in. 



' In their morning passage, some stop here ; others in other 

 favourite places, farther and farther on ; some repairing to the 

 trees for pastime, some resorting to the fields for food, till the 

 declining sun warns those which have gone farthest that it is 

 time they should return. They rise in a mass, receiving ad- 

 ditions to their numbers from every intervening place, till they 

 reach this neighbourhood in an amazing flock. Sometimes they 

 pass on without stopping, and are joined by those which have 

 spent the day here. At other times they make my park their 

 place of rendezvous, and cover the ground in vast profusion, or 

 perch upon the surrounding trees. After tarrying here for a 

 certain time, every Rook takes wing. They linger in the air 

 for awhile, in slow revolving circies, and then they all proceed 



