ROOKS. 249 



the young for food. The old birds seemed to suffer 

 without complaint; but the wants of their famishing 

 offspring were expressed by unceasing cries. Yet, 

 amidst all this distress, it was pleasing to observe 

 the perseverance of the old ones in the endeavour to 

 relieve their perishing families, for many of them 

 remained out, searching for food, long after their 

 accustomed roosting-time, and then, adds this in- 

 teresting writer, " the Rook became a plunderer," 

 and dreadful havoc took place in the potato-fields, 

 where whole lines were afterwards seen broken up, 

 in consequence of the visits of suffering Rooks. 



We have before noticed the instinctive sagacity 

 shown by Rooks, Jays, &c., in avoiding the approach 

 of sportsmen, or other suspicious characters; and 

 it would appear that they can with equal discrimi- 

 nation discover, and attach themselves to friends. 

 A clergyman who had a small rookery near his 

 house, assured us, that when he walked near, or 

 under the trees, they exhibited no signs of alarm ; 

 but when a stranger approached, they were evidently 

 uneasy, and manifested, by their loud cawings and 

 movements, their wish for his departure. The fol- 

 lowing anecdote, is a still more convincing proof of 

 this instinctive faculty. 



A farmer rented a farm in the county of Essex 

 some years ago, where he had not resided long, 

 before a number of Rooks came and built their 

 nests upon the trees immediately surrounding the 

 premises; and multiplied so much in the course of 

 three or four years, as to form a considerable rookery, 

 which he much prized. About this time, however, 

 he was induced to take a larger farm, which obliged 



