Rook-poachers. 241 



the nests, notwithstanding the difficnlty of access. 

 Young laborers will climb the trees, though so large 

 that they can scarcely grasp the trunt, and with few 

 branches, and those small for some height ; for elms 

 are often stripped up the trunk to make the timber 

 grow straight and free from the great branches called 

 ' limbs.' Even when the marauder is in the tree he 

 has some difficulty in getting at the nests, which are 

 placed where the boughs diminish in size. Climbing- 

 irons used to be sometimes emplo3'ed for the purpose. 

 As elm trees are so conspicuous, these thieving prac- 

 tices cannot well be carried on while it is light. So 

 the rook-poachers go up the trees in the dead of 

 night ; and as the old rooks would make a tremen- 

 dous noise and so attract attention, they carry a 

 lantern with them, the light from which silences 

 tlie birds. vSo long as the}' can see a light they will 

 not caw. 



The time selected to rob a rookery is generally 

 just before the date fixed for the shooting, because 

 the young birds are of little use for cooking till about 

 ready to fly. The trick, it is believed, has often been 

 played for the mere pleasure of spiting the owner, 

 the very night previous to the rook-shooting party 

 being chosen. These robberies of young rooks are 

 much less frequent than they used to be. One reason 

 why those who possess any property in the country 

 do not like to see a laboring man with a gun is be- 

 cause he will shoot an old rook ( and often eat it ) , 

 if he gets the opportunity, without reference to times 

 or seasons, whether they are building or not. 



The young rooks that escape being shot seem to 

 be fed, or partly fed, by the old birds for some time 

 16 



