BIRDS' NESTS. 115 



" But do not rooks always fly away when 

 they see a man with a gun ? " 



" Yes, arid so they do from a man who holds 

 up a stick ; and they will fly away from a man 

 on foot, but take no notice of a man in a cart. 

 The reason of this, I suppose, is, not that they 

 can smell gunpowder, as some people say, but 

 that almost the first time they quitted their 

 nests, and before they could fly away, several 

 men came with guns beneath the trees on 

 which they were perched, and fired at them. 

 I do not suppose that they understood the 

 meaning of their companions' deaths, but, 

 doubtless, they were all terrified to such a 

 degree that they never see a man carrying a 

 gun or stick without fearing that the same 

 thing will happen again. The reason why they 

 take no notice of persons riding or driving 

 is, I suppose, because they have found out by 

 experience that no one on horseback or in a 

 carriage takes notice of them. It is just the 

 same with many other animals, which, though 



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