THE ROOK. 107 



another. *The sufferer instantly fell into the river. A general cry of 

 distress ensued. The Birds hovered, with every expression of anxiety, 

 over their distressed companion. Animated by their sympathy, and,, 

 perhaps, by the language of counsel known to themselves, he sprang- 

 into the air, and by one strong effort, reached the point of a rock which 

 projected into the water. The joy became loud and univeisal; but 

 alas I it was soon changed into notes of lamentation ; for the poor 

 wounded Bird, in attempting to fly towards his nest, again dropped 

 into the river, and was drowned, amidst the moans of his whole 

 fraternity." 



There seems to exist a wonderful antipathy between these birds- 

 and the Raven. Mr. Markwick says, that as soon as a Raven had 

 built her nest in a tree adjoining a very numerous rookery, all the 

 Rooks immediately left the spot, and did not return to build there- 

 afterwards. At the Bishop of Chester's rookery at Broom ham, near 

 Hastings, upon a Raven's building her nest in one of the trees, all the- 

 Rooks forsook the spot; they however returned to their haunts in the^ 

 autumn, and formed their nests there the succeeding year. It is no- 

 very difficult task to account for this antipathy. The Raven will 

 scarcely suffer any bird to come within a quarter of a mile of its nest,, 

 being very fierce in defending it. It besides seizes the young Rooks 

 from their nests, to feed its own offspring. This Mr. Lambert was an 

 eye-witness to, at Mr. Seymer's at Harford, in Dorsetshire ; for there 

 was no peace in the rookery night or day, till one of the old Ravens 

 was killed, and the nest was destroyed. 



Rooks begin to build in March ; and, after the breeding-season wr 

 over, they forsake their nesting-trees, and for sometime roost elsewhere ; 

 but they have always been observed to return in August. In October 

 they repair their nests. 



When the first brood of Rooks are sufficiently fledged, they leave 

 their nest-trees in the day- time, and resort to some distant place in 

 search of food ; but they return regularly every evening in vast flights,. 

 to their nests; where, after flying round several times with muck 

 noise and clamor, till they are all assembled together, they take ^p 

 their abode for the night. 



Mr. White, in his Natural History of Selborne, speaking of the- 

 evening exercises of Rooks in the autumn, remarks, that, just before 

 dusk, they return in long strings from the foraging of the day, and 

 rendezvous by thousands over Selborne Down, where they wheel 

 round, and dive in a playful manner in the air, exerting their voices, 

 which being softened by the distance, become a pleasing murmur, not 

 unlike the cry of a pack of Hounds in deep echoing woods. When 

 this ceremony is over, with the last gleam of light they retire to the 

 deep beech-woods of Tisted and Kepley. We remember (says Mr. 

 White) a little girl, who, as she was going to bed, used to remark, or* 

 such an occurrence, in the true spirit of physico-theology, that the 

 Books were saying their prayers; and yet this child was much too 

 young to be aware that the Scriptures have asserted of the Deity that 

 1 He feedeth the havens, who call upon him. 11 



In the parts of Hampshire adjacent to the New Forest, when the 



